News Analysis India

Tag: afghanistan evacuation

  • India evacuates 35 people including 11 Nepalese nationals in a military aircraft from Kabul

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Thursday evacuated 24 of its citizens and 11 Nepalese nationals in a military aircraft from Kabul in the backdrop of further deterioration in the security situation in the Afghan capital.

    People familiar with the evacuation mission said a plan was firmed up to bring back over 180 people but only 35 could be airlifted as the rest of them could not reach the Kabul airport to board the C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force in view of multiple check posts and other restrictions imposed by the Taliban in the city.

    “Op Devi Shakti in action! @IAF_MC flight with 24 Indian and 11 Nepalese evacuees from Kabul is on its way to Delhi. #DeviShakti,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted in the morning.

    Op Devi Shakti in action!@IAF_MCC flight with 24 Indian and 11 Nepalese evacuees from Kabul is on its way to Delhi. #DeviShakti
    — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) August 26, 2021
    The people cited above said the security situation around the Kabul airport deteriorated further in the last couple of days due to which the Afghans and other people could not reach it.

    There has been a scramble by various countries to evacuate their citizens from Kabul before the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of American troops from the war-ravaged country.

    American forces have been handling the security at the Hamid Karzai international airport in Kabul.

    Under its mission “Operation Devi Shakti”, India has already evacuated over 800 people after Kabul was captured by the Taliban on August 15.

    Thousands of Afghans have been crowding around the Kabul airport for over a week, in a desperate attempt to flee the country fearing the Taliban’s brutality.

    Several G-7 leaders requested US President Joe Biden to extend the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of American troops.

    However, Biden said the US is trying to stick to the timetable.

    In the last few days, India has stepped up efforts to evacuate its citizens as well as its Afghan partners from Kabul in view of the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital and other parts of the country.

    On Tuesday, 78 people, including 25 Indian nationals and a number of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, were airlifted to Delhi from Dushanbe, a day after they were evacuated from Kabul to the Tajik city.

    India evacuated 392 people including two Afghan lawmakers in three different flights on Sunday.

    The Taliban seized control of Kabul on August 15.

    Within two days of the Taliban’s capture of Kabul, India evacuated 200 people, including the Indian envoy and other staffers of its embassy in the Afghan capital.

    The first evacuation flight brought back over 40 people, mostly staffers at the Indian embassy on August 16.

    The second aircraft evacuated around 150 people including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians from Kabul on August 17.

  • Government committed to full evacuation of Indians from Afghanistan: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government is committed to “full evacuation” of Indians from Afghanistan, where the situation is “critical”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday after briefing the leaders during the all-party meet on the Afghan situation.

    Asked about the government’s approach towards Taliban, he told reporters that the situation in Afghanistan has not settled down.

    “You will have to keep patience: Let the situation settle down.”

    Besides Jaishankar, Union minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were also present during the briefing on the latest situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban captured power there last week.

    As per the evacuation data shared among the participants at the meet, the government has evacuated –175 Embassy Personnel, 263 other Indian Nationals, 112 Afghan Nationals including Hindus and Sikhs, 15 third country nationals and the total figure stood at 565.

    The document also said the government also facilitated evacuation of Indians by other agencies.

    NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, DMK’s T R Baalu, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel are among those attending the meet.

    Jaishankar said,”on this (Afghanistan) matter all political parties have similar views, we approached the issue with spirit of national unity.”

  • Afghanistan crisis: India evacuates 168 people from Kabul in IAF’s transport aircraft

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Sunday evacuated 168 people including 107 Indians from Kabul in a military transport aircraft of the IAF amid the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital city following its takeover by the Taliban a week back.

    Another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals who were flown in an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft to the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe from Kabul on Saturday, arrived in Delhi on Sunday morning, people familiar with the development said.

    They were brought back in a special Air India flight from Dushanbe, they said.

    Separately, a group of 135 Indians, who were earlier evacuated from Kabul to Doha in the last few days by the US and NATO aircraft, also returned to India.

    ALSO READ | Andhra govt sets up helpdesk for stranded citizens

    It is learnt that the Indians evacuated to Doha from Kabul were employees of a number of foreign companies that were operating in Afghanistan.

    “Evacuation continues!IAF special repatriation flight with 168 passengers onboard, including 107 Indian nationals, is on its way to Delhi from Kabul,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

    It is learnt that a number of prominent Sikh leaders are on board the flight.

    “Bringing Indians home from Afghanistan!AI 1956 carrying 87 Indians departs from Tajikistan for New Delhi. Two Nepalese nationals also evacuated. Assisted and supported by our Embassy @IndEmbDushanbe. More evacuation flights to follow,” Bagchi tweeted at around 1:20 am.

    Bringing Indians home from Afghanistan!AI 1956 carrying 87 Indians departs from Tajikistan for New Delhi. Two Nepalese nationals also evacuated.Assisted and supported by our Embassy @IndEmbDushanbe.More evacuation flights to follow. pic.twitter.com/YMCuJQ7595
    — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) August 21, 2021

    Evacuation continues!IAF special repatriation flight with 168 passengers onboard, including 107 Indian nationals, is on its way to Delhi from Kabul. pic.twitter.com/ysACxClVdX
    — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) August 22, 2021
    India evacuated 200 people including the Indian envoy and other staffers of its embassy in Kabul in two C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft of the IAF after the Taliban seized control of Kabul.

    The first evacuation flight brought back over 40 people, mostly staffers at the Indian embassy, on Monday.

    The second C-17 aircraft evacuated around 150 people including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians from Kabul on Tuesday.

    The Taliban swept across Afghanistan this month, seizing control of almost all key towns and cities including Kabul in the backdrop of the withdrawal of the US forces.

    COLUMN | Exit from Kabul: America’s bungle, India’s burden

    The mission to evacuate close to 200 Indians was accomplished with support from the US Following the evacuation, the MEA said the focus now would be to ensure the safe return of all Indian nationals from the Afghan capital.

    The MEA said the immediate priority for the government is to obtain accurate information about all Indian nationals currently staying in Afghanistan.

    It also requested the Indians as well as their employers to urgently share the relevant details with the special Afghanistan cell.

    As per a rough estimate earlier, the number of Indians stranded in Afghanistan could be around 400 and India has been looking at ways to evacuate them including by coordinating with the US and other friendly countries.

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