At least 75 Indians have been evacuated from war-torn Syria where the rebels have toppled the Bashar al-Assad government and are set to form a government on their own. The Indian nationals have safely crossed to Lebanon and will return by commercial flights to India, the External Affairs Ministry said late last night.

The ministry said the evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ (pilgrims) from Jammu and Kashmir, who were stranded at Saida Zainab.

The development follows requests from Indian nationals in Syria and an assessment of the security situation, the ministry said, adding that the Indian embassies in Damascus and Beirut coordinated the evacuation.

Some Indians, however, remain in Syria. The government has advised them to stay in touch with the embassy in Damascus via the helpline number +963 993385973, also on WhatsApp, and email ID hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in.

Rebel forces, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, captured capital Damascus on Sunday after a lightning 12-day offensive, ending five decades of brutal rule by the Assad clan. Assad, a Kremlin ally, fled to Russia before the rebels breached his palace and has reportedly been granted asylum.

Mohammad al-Bashir, who has been appointed the transitional prime minister by the rebels till March 1, has called for “stability and calm”, in his first interview with Al Jazeera television.

Reports suggest the US has reached out to the rebels and urged them to run an inclusive process to form a transitional government instead of assuming automatic leadership. An official said the Biden administration in the US is also in touch with Donald Trump’s team over the matter.

Trump had earlier called Syria a “mess” and said the US should not be involved.

Former South Korean defence minister Kim Yong-hyun has attempted to take his life, an official said. 

​Former South Korean defence minister Kim Yong-hyun has attempted to take his life, an official said.  

Comedian Sunil Pal’s alleged kidnapping in Meerut has taken a twist. A leaked audio clip suggests the incident, involving a Rs 7.5 lakh ransom, might be a staged publicity stunt. Pal claims he was coerced and the audio was manipulated. However, CCTV footage reportedly shows the suspects buying gold with the ransom money.