Ravi Bhushan, a Ghaziabad resident and one of the 75 Indian nationals rescued from Syria, shared his traumatic experience of the situation in Damascus, offering his heartfelt thanks to the Indian government for its timely intervention.
Bhushan, the first of the 75 Indian nationals to return home, praised the Indian embassy’s rescue efforts. “India has started a rescue operation and we are the first team who rescued from Syria. The best part is that they contacted each and everyone. They were even motivating them and asking them if they were okay,” Bhushan said. He further commended the Syrian embassy’s regular updates on the rescue process, receiving hourly messages about the operation and assistance for any immediate needs like food or supplies. “If somebody faced any problem regarding food or anything, they arranged it. We are very much thankful to the Indian government and Indian embassy at Lebanon and Syria both places,” Bhushan added.
Conditions in Syria: A Dire Situation
Bhushan described the situation in Syria as “worst,” citing widespread panic, open gunfire on roads, and the destruction caused by the ongoing conflict. “There is widespread panic. People are firing in the open road, bombarding, looting the banks. They damaged the airport completely. They are damaging all the vehicles which are parked in the hotels and everywhere,” he said. He predicted the situation would only worsen, urging the government to continue its efforts to evacuate citizens safely.
Bhushan also reflected on the suffering of people from other countries stranded in Syria. “We saw how people from other countries were suffering. We saw small children and women, how they were made to sit outside for over 10-12 hours in the 4-5 degree temperature. It was really horrible. But because of Indian government, we did not face any such kind of issue,” he noted.
Bhushan, who had been in Syria for business reasons, revealed that the situation had initially been calm. “I was there for some business reasons. That time the situation was quite okay. Even our customer contacted the Indian embassy and said that things are okay there. But after 2-3 days, suddenly the things changed. So we were not expecting these kind of things,” he explained.
Indian Nationals Evacuated from Syria
In response to the escalating crisis, the Indian embassy successfully evacuated 75 Indian nationals, including 44 ‘Zaireen’ from Jammu and Kashmir who had been stranded in Saida Zainab. These nationals reached Beirut safely, marking the successful completion of the rescue operation.
The rescue efforts were set against the backdrop of a tumultuous situation in Syria, where Syrian rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise offensive on November 27, taking control of Damascus and ousting President Bashar al-Assad. This shift in power, following 24 years of Assad’s leadership, has led to widespread chaos, with both locals and foreigners struggling to stay safe amidst the violence.
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