Amid Taliban offensive, India is evacuating nationals, staff from Mazar-e-Sharif

India on Tuesday asked its nationals living in and around Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan to leave at the earliest as the situation in the war-torn country is turning volatile with Taliban advances gain momentum. Most importantly, India's move to evacuate Indians comes as Taliban insurgents are planning to attack Mazar-e-Sharif.

New Delhi:India on Tuesday asked its nationals leaving in and around Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan to leave at the earliest as the situation in the war-torn country is turning volatile with Taliban advances gain momentum. Most importantly, India's move to evacuate Indians comes as Taliban insurgents are planning to attack Mazar-e-Sharif.

Till now there are no official words on the development from the external affairs ministry. "A special flight is leaving from Mazar-e-Sharif to New Delhi. Any Indian nationals in and around Mazar-e-Sharif are requested to leave for India in the special flight scheduled to depart late today evening", the Indian Consulate General of India, Mazar-e-sharif, Afghanistan said in a tweet.

It said, "Indian citizens desiring to leave by special flight should immediately convey their full name, passport number, date of expiry by WhatsApp at the following numbers- 0785891303 0785891301". The Taliban on Monday captured Aibak- the sixth provincial capital in Afghanistan and are eyeing to capture the biggest city in the region- Mazar-i-sharif.

Last week on Saturday, the Taliban militants captured the Sheberghan city in Jawzjan- the second Afghan provincial capital that fell prey to the insurgents. According to reports, the city is home to warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, who only returned to Afghanistan this week from medical treatment in Turkey.

Amid the ongoing US troops withdrawal, the Taliban is leaving no stone unturned to set its foot in the whole of Afghanistan. The unending incidents of violence and atrocities perpetrated by the Taliban have become a global concern. On Friday, Taliban fighters have assassinated the Afghanistan government's top media and information officer Dawa Khan Menapal in the capital city of Kabul.

On Friday itself, the Taliban captured the city of Zaranj, the provincial capital of Nimroz, making it the first provincial capital the Taliban insurgent group has snatched from the Afghan government. On Monday Unicef said it was “shocked” by the recent escalation in violence; 27 children have been killed and 136 wounded in three days.

According to Special Representative Deborah Lyons, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, more than 1,000 civilian casualties in Herat Kandahar & Laskargah have been reported in the last month alone since the Taliban began assaults in these cities.

Read:Over 150,000 evacuated to avoid wandering elephants in China