PM Modi, Afghan President Ghani discuss evolving security situation

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the timely supply of food and medical assistance to meet the requirement in Afghanistan. The two leaders also exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the region and other areas of mutual bilateral interest.

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani discussed the evolving security situation in the region and other areas of mutual and bilateral interest on Monday, the Prime Minister's Office said.

During a phone call, the two also exchanged Eidul Adha greetings. President Ghani thanked Prime Minister Modi for the timely supply of food and medical assistance to meet Afghan requirement.

Modi reiterated India's commitment to the people of Afghanistan in their quest for a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan, the PMO statement said.

"The two leaders also exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the region and other areas of mutual, bilateral interest," it said.

The phone call happened as reports said Afghan forces retook a prison in the country's east, a day after the Islamic State terrorist group attacked the facility in which at least 29 people were killed.

The attack began Sunday, when an Islamic State suicide bomber drove a car laden with explosives up to the prison's main gate, detonating the bomb. Islamic State militants opened fire on the prison's guards and poured through the breach.

The motive of the attack wasn't immediately clear. However, some of the 1,500 prisoners there escaped during the fighting. Khyogyani said about 1,000 prisoners who earlier escaped had been found by security forces across the city. It wasn’t immediately clear if any prisoners were still at large.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)