- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA on Tuesday (17) was bringing back home its ambassador and staff from the embassy in Kabul in a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force in view of the deteriorating situation in the Afghan capital after the Taliban takeover, informed sources said.
Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of India’s external affairs ministry, said the decision to move the envoy and his Indian staff to India immediately was taken considering the current situation in Kabul.
“In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately,” Bagchi tweeted.
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Sources said the air force transport aircraft left for India on Tuesday morning with over 120 people, including officials and security personnel from the embassy. Some Indian nationals are also learnt to have been returning home onboard the aircraft.
On Monday (16), another C-17 aircraft had evacuated around 40 people, including a number of Indian embassy staff from Kabul before the operations at the airport in the city were suspended.
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The two military aircraft flew into Kabul using the Iranian airspace while avoiding the route through Pakistani airspace, the sources added.
Earlier, India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who is in New York on a four-day visit, spoke to US secretary of state Antony Blinken and discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan.
“Discussed latest developments in Afghanistan with @SecBlinken. Underlined the urgency of restoring airport operations in Kabul. Deeply appreciate the American efforts underway in this regard,” he tweeted.
It is learnt that Jaishankar was also involved in hectic discussions, including with US officials on the evacuation of the Indian officials from Kabul.
The US military had taken control of the security at the capital city’s airport on Monday after thousands of desperate people converged there in the hope of getting on an evacuation flight and leaving the country.
The Taliban took control of Kabul on Sunday (15), hours after Afghan president Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan, capturing power nearly 20 years after a US-led military invasion ousted it in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
In a series of tweets, Jaishankar also said that India is continuously monitoring the situation in Kabul continuously.
“Monitoring the situation in Kabul continuously. Understand the anxiety of those seeking to return to India. Airport operations are the main challenge. Discussions on with partners in that regard,” he said.
“Significant UN Security Council discussions today on developments in Afghanistan. Expressed the concerns of the international community. Expect to discuss these during my engagements at the UN,” he said.
In another tweet, he said the Indian government is in constant touch with the Sikh and Hindu community leaders in Kabul, adding their welfare will get its priority attention.
“Given the Kabul situation, important we have accurate information about Indians there. Urge that this be provided by all concerned to the MEA Special Afghanistan Cell,” he said.
The contact details of the Cell are phone number: +919717785379, mail: [email protected], Jaishankar said.
