Afghanistan: India evacuates 168 people from Kabul

INDIA on Sunday (22) evacuated 168 people, including 107 Indians, in a military transport aircraft from Kabul amid the deteriorating situation in the Afghanistan capital in the wake of the Taliban takeover on August 15.

Also on Sunday morning, another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals who were flown in an Indian Air Force aircraft to Dushanbe, the capital of neighbouring Tajikistan, from Kabul on Saturday (21), arrived in Delhi, informed sources told Press Trust of India. They were brought back in a special Air India flight from Dushanbe.

Apart from these, a group of 135 Indians, who were earlier evacuated from Kabul to Doha, the capital of Qatar, in the last few days by American and North Atlantic Treaty Organisations (NATO) aircraft, also returned home. It is learnt that the Indians evacuated to Doha from Kabul worked for a number of foreign firms that were operating in Afghanistan.

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“Evacuation continues!IAF special repatriation flight with 168 passengers onboard, including 107 Indian nationals, is on its way to Delhi from Kabul,” India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted about Sunday’s evacuation mission which reportedly has a number of prominent Sikh leaders on board.

“Bringing Indians home from Afghanistan!AI 1956 carrying 87 Indians departs from Tajikistan for New Delhi. Two Nepalese nationals also evacuated.Assisted and supported by our Embassy @IndEmbDushanbe. More evacuation flights to follow," Bagchi tweeted around 1:20 am India Time.

Taliban help India pull off midnight evacuation

India recently brought back 200 people, including the Indian envoy to Afghanistan and other staff members of its embassy in Kabul in two C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft of the air force after the Taliban recaptured power.

The external affairs ministry said the focus would now be to ensure the safe return of all Indian nationals from Kabul. It has also requested the Indians as well as their employers to share relevant details with the special Afghanistan cell.

Around 400 Indians could still remain stranded in Afghanistan and India has been looking at options to evacuate them. Coordination with the US and other friendly nations is also underway to accomplish their evacuation fast.