٠٠:٠٢:١٦Mandatory Credit: Council of ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria
A government-chartered flight carrying 89 Bulgarian citizens from Lebanon touched down in Sofia on Tuesday as the Balkan nation joined Germany as the first country to evacuate nationals amid Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah.
Footage shows Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev greeting the evacuees aboard the plane before they disembarked and made their way to the terminal at Sofia International Airport.
"Everyone arrived safe and sound. In truth, we prayed to God that the mission would end this way. And I wanted to see for myself," Glavchev told journalists.
Over half of the 160 applicants from Bulgaria and their families were reportedly returned home on Tuesday's flight, while the government says more evacuations will take place in the coming days.
"We are currently finalising the details. When it is safest for the second flight, it will be carried out without delay," Glavchev said.
Approximately 400 Bulgarians reside in Lebanon, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is in constant contact with those who wish to be evacuated.
"Two days ago, it got very bad around us. And we are very grateful that you acted so quickly. Yesterday, the decision was made. Today, we are already here," an evacuee said.
"We have many acquaintances from other EU countries and from the USA. Their evacuation has not yet started. The first flights from Lebanon are from Bulgaria and Germany," he continued.
It comes after Israel announced the start of a campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah positions dubbed 'Operation Northern Arrows' on September 23. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that these attacks have resulted in more than 1,030 deaths and left 6,300 people injured.
On Saturday, Hezbollah confirmed reports that its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had died following an Israeli airstrike on the militant group's central headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Nasrallah's death 'settled the account' with a 'mass murderer', describing the Hezbollah leader as a terrorist and the 'central engine of Iran's axis of evil'.
Tensions between the sides escalated in mid-September after a series of explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah left dozens dead and thousands injured. Hezbollah responded by launching hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah, Lebanese, and Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling with the Israeli forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
'Safe and sound' - 89 Bulgarian nationals arrive in Sofia on evacuation flight from Lebanon
A government-chartered flight carrying 89 Bulgarian citizens from Lebanon touched down in Sofia on Tuesday as the Balkan nation joined Germany as the first country to evacuate nationals amid Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah.
Footage shows Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev greeting the evacuees aboard the plane before they disembarked and made their way to the terminal at Sofia International Airport.
"Everyone arrived safe and sound. In truth, we prayed to God that the mission would end this way. And I wanted to see for myself," Glavchev told journalists.
Over half of the 160 applicants from Bulgaria and their families were reportedly returned home on Tuesday's flight, while the government says more evacuations will take place in the coming days.
"We are currently finalising the details. When it is safest for the second flight, it will be carried out without delay," Glavchev said.
Approximately 400 Bulgarians reside in Lebanon, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is in constant contact with those who wish to be evacuated.
"Two days ago, it got very bad around us. And we are very grateful that you acted so quickly. Yesterday, the decision was made. Today, we are already here," an evacuee said.
"We have many acquaintances from other EU countries and from the USA. Their evacuation has not yet started. The first flights from Lebanon are from Bulgaria and Germany," he continued.
It comes after Israel announced the start of a campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah positions dubbed 'Operation Northern Arrows' on September 23. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that these attacks have resulted in more than 1,030 deaths and left 6,300 people injured.
On Saturday, Hezbollah confirmed reports that its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had died following an Israeli airstrike on the militant group's central headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Nasrallah's death 'settled the account' with a 'mass murderer', describing the Hezbollah leader as a terrorist and the 'central engine of Iran's axis of evil'.
Tensions between the sides escalated in mid-September after a series of explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah left dozens dead and thousands injured. Hezbollah responded by launching hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah, Lebanese, and Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling with the Israeli forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Mandatory Credit: Council of ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria
A government-chartered flight carrying 89 Bulgarian citizens from Lebanon touched down in Sofia on Tuesday as the Balkan nation joined Germany as the first country to evacuate nationals amid Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah.
Footage shows Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev greeting the evacuees aboard the plane before they disembarked and made their way to the terminal at Sofia International Airport.
"Everyone arrived safe and sound. In truth, we prayed to God that the mission would end this way. And I wanted to see for myself," Glavchev told journalists.
Over half of the 160 applicants from Bulgaria and their families were reportedly returned home on Tuesday's flight, while the government says more evacuations will take place in the coming days.
"We are currently finalising the details. When it is safest for the second flight, it will be carried out without delay," Glavchev said.
Approximately 400 Bulgarians reside in Lebanon, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is in constant contact with those who wish to be evacuated.
"Two days ago, it got very bad around us. And we are very grateful that you acted so quickly. Yesterday, the decision was made. Today, we are already here," an evacuee said.
"We have many acquaintances from other EU countries and from the USA. Their evacuation has not yet started. The first flights from Lebanon are from Bulgaria and Germany," he continued.
It comes after Israel announced the start of a campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah positions dubbed 'Operation Northern Arrows' on September 23. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that these attacks have resulted in more than 1,030 deaths and left 6,300 people injured.
On Saturday, Hezbollah confirmed reports that its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had died following an Israeli airstrike on the militant group's central headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Nasrallah's death 'settled the account' with a 'mass murderer', describing the Hezbollah leader as a terrorist and the 'central engine of Iran's axis of evil'.
Tensions between the sides escalated in mid-September after a series of explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah left dozens dead and thousands injured. Hezbollah responded by launching hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah, Lebanese, and Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling with the Israeli forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.