Indian government issues travel advisory for citizens travelling to Iraq

Given the strife prevailing between the US and Iran, the Indian government has issued a travel advisory for Indian citizens asking them to avoid travelling to Iraq unless really needed.

According to an advisory circulated by the Ministry of External Affairs, India, Indian nationals are counselled to refrain from all unimportant travel to Iraq until notified further by the ministry.News has it that more than a dozen ballistic missiles were fired by Iran on Wednesday at two military points in Iraq, where American soldiers are present. Soleimani, Iran's pre-eminent Revolutionary Guard General, was put to death in a US drone strike on his vehicle at the Baghdad airport. Reportedly, the Iranian state TV announced that the US military point strike was conducted as an act of revenge for assassinating Qassem Soleimani.


Indian nationals staying in Iraq have been told to be aware and on their guard. The Ministry of External Affairs also advised Indians to avoid travel within Iraq. Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil are actively functioning in their respective location, as reported by the ministry.

On the other hand, aviation regulator DGCA has told Indian airlines to stay cautious and take precautions while flying in airspace over countries like Iran, Gulf of Oman, Iraq, and the seas of Persian Gulf.
As per the news reports, the US Federal Aviation Administration announced that it would put a ban on US aircrafts from functioning in the airspace over Iraq, Iran and other gulf nations owing to the missile attack launched by Iran on the US-led forces in Iraq.