Dehradun resident narrates Indian rescue operation in Afghanistan

Savita Shahi, who was trapped in Kabul, Afghanistan, was safely rescued by the Indian Air Force August 17. A resident of Dehradun, she gave a first person account of her harrowing experience in an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat.

Dehradun: As India engaged in evacuating its stranded nationals amidst the worsening situation after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Savita Shahi, who has been working with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and US Army medical staff in Kabul for the last eight years, reached Dehradun safely two days ago.

ETV Bharat had an exclusive conversation with Shahi on her return to Dehradun.

Shahi said that while she was working in the medical team of NATO and the US Army, nobody thought that everything would change so quickly in Afghanistan and there would be chaos all around. On August 13 and 14, the Taliban suddenly captured Kabul, after which people started running for their lives.

She said that on Sunday, August 15, the Taliban had completely captured Kabul Airport, due to which all flights were cancelled. In such a situation, on the evening of August 16, the military airport of the US Army, which is very close to the civil airport, started preparing for the rescue of other people, including the medical team members.

At around 6 pm, when people working with the US and NATO forces approached the airport, the Taliban fighters suddenly started firing. All the people were then brought back from the airport to their camp and asked to wait till late night or the next morning.

Shahi said that the situation outside was such that everybody was trying to return to their respective countries. Meanwhile, a member of her camp, who was in constant touch with an Indian Embassy official, got information that an Indian Air Force aircraft was about to arrive at the military airport to rescue Indian diplomats, employees and their families.

Then, with the help of that Indian Embassy official, a total of seven people from the US Army medical camp were put in the Indian Air Force aircraft at 6:10 am. At around 7:30 am, the aircraft took off for Jamnagar, Gujarat, carrying 150 people.

Many people, who did not get seats in the plane, sat on the floor and returned to India. People who came from Kabul by different planes were later taken to Delhi at around 3:30 am.

Shahi said that there were many challenges when she was working with the US and NATO over the last eight years. But, the Indian Air Force showed that it had the capability of a global leader. Not only did it rescue Indian diplomats and employees, it also transported US and NATO personnel, as well as many others, by its planes to Doha in Qatar, Dubai and Norway.