Seoul, June 19 (IANS) Twenty South Korean nationals and their family members have evacuated Iran via a land route and arrived safely in Turkmenistan amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the foreign ministry said.
Eighteen South Koreans and two Iranian family members crossed the border into the Central Asian country by transportation provided by the South Korean government Tuesday morning (local time) and arrived in the capital, Ashgabat, the next day, the ministry said.
The eastern border land route chosen by the government is about 1,200 kilometres, and it takes around 16 hours to travel by bus without breaks, a ministry official said.
A rapid response team from Seoul was in Turkmenistan to assist with the evacuation efforts.
About 110 South Koreans had been estimated to be in Iran as of last Friday, when the Israelis initiated an attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
The official also indicated that preparations are underway for an additional evacuation.
The government has been weighing options to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in the Middle East, amid the escalating tensions following massive airstrikes between Israel and Iran.
“Given the continued exchange of military strikes between the two sides this week, growing concerns over the safety of our citizens, and the ongoing closure of Iranian airspace, we have decided to assist our nationals in evacuating Iran via land routes,” the ministry said.
The operation comes as countries are closing their embassies and evacuating their citizens from the region, either to return home or relocate to nearby nations, Yonhap news agency reported.
The South Korean government has also provided transportation and assistance to 23 South Korean nationals to leave Israel via a land route to Jordan.
Earlier in the day, an Iranian ballistic missile struck Soroka Hospital in Israel’s Beersheba, seriously injuring several patients, doctors, and staff as the conflict entered its seventh day.
“Soroka Hospital in Beersheba — where Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Arab Bedouin receive care — was just hit by an indiscriminate Iranian ballistic missile. Israel will continue to do what must be done to protect all its people, from all walks of life,” the Israel Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.
According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Iran fired around 30 ballistic missiles at Israel on Thursday, and one of them struck the hospital in Beersheba.
–IANS
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