India to evacuate 1000 from Lebanon, 1000-2000 from North Israel

New Delhi, July 19 (UNI) Of the 12,000 Indians in Lebanon, India will evacuate at least 1000 more and has sent four ships to bring them back home any time, the External Affairs Ministry said today.

Already 49 people were evacuated on July 17.

India is also evacuating about 1000 to 2000 people, half of them students, from the Northern part of Israel and is planning to bring them to safer areas of the South.

Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv was making arrangements to evacuate between 1000 and 2000 Indians, half of them students, from the Northern parrt of Israel and bring them to safer areas of the South.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said if the number of the people wanting to be evacuated from Lebanon was more than 1000, they would be taken to Larnaca in Cyprus from where they would be airlifted to India.

He said India had also received requests from Nepal and Sri Lanka to evacuate their nationals. If the ships have any space left, they too would be accommodated, he said in reply to a question.

Mr Sarna said the situation was evolving very fast in the region and there was considerable congestion as a result of the build-up in the seas.

Four ships which have been sent, should be berthing ''anytime now,'' he said.

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