Twenty-one persons, mostly students from Tamil Nadu who were pursuing higher education in war-hit Israel, arrived in Chennai and Coimbatore on Friday.
The Union and Tamil Nadu governments coordinated their evacuation and travel to their respective hometowns as part of ‘Operation Ajay’. They were among the 212 Indians who were evacuated from Israel on an Air India flight that arrived in New Delhi on Friday.
While 14 of the 21 Tamils reached Chennai airport, the remaining seven landed in Coimbatore. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, North Chennai MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy and the Commissioner of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils, Jacintha Lazarus, welcomed the returnees at Chennai airport. The Collector received those who arrived at Coimbatore airport.