Hyderabad: India on Tuesday brought back home its Indian Ambassador in Kabul and staff in a heavy-lift military transport aircraft amid the deteriorating security situation in the warn-torn nation. The C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) landed at Jamnagar in Gujarat at around 11:15 am en route to the Hindon airbase near Delhi. Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Rudrendra Tandon after landing at Jamnagar, Gujarat said, "Your welcome has an impact on all of us. Thank you to the Indian Air Force who flew us out under conditions that are not normal."
Earlier, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately." Many Indians from different provinces are still stranded at Kabul Airport and in several Gurudwaras, following the Taliban take over, reports say.
The Ministry of External Affairs has also set up a special Afghanistan Cell to coordinate repatriation and other requests from Afghanistan. The helpline number is : +919717785379 and the email is: MEAHelpdeskIndia@gmail.com. The MEA spokesperson also said that the government of India has been closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and that it is in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. The MEA also assured that they will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan. "There are also several Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavours. We will stand by them", MEA added.
Read: After 20-year lull, Taliban take charge of Afghanistan
Several other Indians in Afghanistan who have requested repatriation to India are in a secure area and will be flown back home safely in a day or two, reports say. Earlier on Monday afternoon, one C-17 of the Indian Air Force (IAF) evacuation flight carrying around 45 Indians, including the embassy staff posted there, had returned to India from Kabul, with personnel and equipment.
With Taliban having taken over Afghanistan’s capital on Sunday, the embattled government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country drawing curtains on a costly 20-year U.S. campaign to rebuild the country. The Taliban took control of Kabul on Sunday amid minimal resistance as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country causing the government to collapse and thousands of people to flee. The terror outfit's return to power in Afghanistan comes after being dormant for 20 years, thereby drawing curtains on the US' two-decade-long campaign to rebuild the war-torn nation.
