As tensions escalated between Russia and Ukraine, a Pakistani student stranded in the war-hit country was rescued by the Indian authorities.
Asma Shafique, the Pakistani girl, was evacuated from a war zone in Ukraine with help from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv.
In a video, she thanked the Indian Embassy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping her.
Asma Shafique, who was rescued by the Indian authorities, is now en route to Western Ukraine for further evacuation out of the country. She will be reunited with her family soon, sources told news agency ANI.
"I want to thank the Indian embassy of Kyiv for supporting us all the way here as we were stuck in a very difficult situation and I also want to thank the Prime Minister of India for supporting us. Hope we get home safely because of the Indian embassy," Asma Shafique said in the video posted by ANI news agency.
This is not the first time a foreign national was rescued by India. Earlier, India had evacuated one Bangladeshi national, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). MEA also informed that that one Nepali citizen will be coming on board an Indian flight under Operation Ganga.
Roshan Jha, the first Nepali national to have been evacuated from Ukraine by the Indian authorities, had also expressed his gratitude towards the Indian government for their support, reported The Kathmandu Post.
Later, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu had informed that seven more Nepalis were being evacuated by the Indian government from Poland.
In a huge relief for India, all its students trapped in Ukraine's Sumy moved out of the city through a Humanitarian Corridor on Tuesday, a day after a localised ceasefire announced by the Russians collapsed and fierce fighting resumed, blocking their exit to safety.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the students were being taken to Poltava, some 175 km south of Sumy, from where they will board trains to western Ukraine.
"Happy to inform that we have been able to move out all Indian students from Sumy. They are currently en route to Poltava, from where they will board trains to western Ukraine," Bagchi tweeted.
Nearly 700 Indian students in Sumy had waged a doughty battle in bomb shelters and basements of their hostels in frigid weather, low on food, drinking water and other essential supplies over the last several days as Russian forces clobbered the city with rockets and heavy gunfire.
"Flights under Operation Ganga are being prepared to bring them home," Bagchi said but did not specify from which border point and when will they be evacuated from Ukraine to board flights for their return to India.
Notably, the Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics followed by the announcement of a "special military operation" to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine.
(With inputs from Agencies)
