Srinagar, March 16 -- The first batch of over 70 Indian students along with many pilgrims, mostly from J&K, evacuated from war-torn Iran, landed in Delhi on Sunday,the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association(JKSA) said. The repatriation of the Indian students began as they travelled towards Armenia following the closure of Iranian air space was closed due towar which began on February 28. The JKSA said that the first batch of more than 70 Indian students - majority of them from J&K along with several pilgrims who had been stranded in Iran amid the ongoing war-like situation in the region - safely arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, on a commercial flight this morning as part of the initial phase of the evacuation process. JKSA national convener Nasir Khuehami said that the students returned to India via a connecting journey through Armenia and Dubai after undertaking a long and difficult land and air transit arranged in coordination with the concerned authorities. "This development has brought much-needed relief to students and families across Kashmir who had been deeply worried about the safety of their children in the conflict-affected region," he said. Majority of the returning students study at various universities across Iran, including Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and other universities across the country. Many of them had earlier been relocated to safer locations by the Indian Embassy in Tehran amid the deteriorating security situation. JKSA said the evacuation was made possible following coordinated efforts between the ministry of external affairs, Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan, and other concerned authorities. "The students in this batch returned to India on commercial flights, as part of an initial evacuation arrangement facilitated through diplomatic coordination and the support of Indian missions," said Khuehami. Nearly 1,100 to 1,500 J&K medical students remain stranded in Iran as the war rages. Despite an MEA advisory to leave, many students had stayed for the critical March 5 national exams (Uloompaya), which were only postponed at the eleventh hour following US-Israeli strikes on February 28. The association expressed gratitude to the Union ministry of external affairs and the Indian Embassy in Tehran for facilitating the safe evacuation and ensuring the students' return to India during a challenging situation. Khuehami further said that there is an urgent need for the government to launch a full-fledged evacuation operation, similar to the large-scale evacuation carried out during the Ukraine crisis and the evacuation undertaken during last year's 12-day war-like situation in Iran, to ensure the safe and timely return of all Indian students still stranded in different parts of the country. He also added that AC sleeper buses were arranged by the Jammu and Kashmir Government for the students' onward journey after their arrival in Delhi while some preferred to take flights....