India is planning to complete evacuation of its staff and embassy personnel from Kabul in the next 48 hours as sources tell News18 that situation is ‘extremely bad’ and Taliban may blocked ‘almost all roads’ leading to airport.
According to a report by Times of India, with US forces still in control of Kabul airport, Indian commercial flights are continuing but not for long. India plans to complete evacuating its nationals before the US completes its own withdrawal.
Taliban has seized control of the Afghan capital after President Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday following an intense onslaught by the militant group.
Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that Ghani and his close aides have left the country after the Taliban entered Kabul after capturing almost all leading cities and provincial capitals.
As Afghanistan stares at an uncertain future, several countries including the US and the UK scrambled to evacuate their staff from the city that has been gripped by fear and panic.
People tracking developments in Afghanistan said India has prepared all contingencies and eventualities including evacuating its staff in its embassy in Kabul as well as Indian citizens stranded in the country.
It is learnt that a fleet of C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force is kept on standby to undertake evacuation missions.
The people cited above said India will not put the lives of its staffers at the embassy and its citizens in Kabul at any risk and plans have already been finalised for emergency evacuation.
In the last few days, the Taliban fighters have swept through most parts of the country, seizing control of around 25 of 34 provincial capitals including cities such as Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad.
Afghan media quoted acting defence minister Bismillah Mohammadi as saying that President Ghani handed the authority of solving the “crisis” in the country to political leaders.
Mohammadi said that a delegation will travel to Doha on Monday for talks on the country’s situation.
Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, appeared to criticise Ghani for leaving the country and said “God will hold him accountable and the nation will also judge.”
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai said on Twitter that a coordinating council comprising himself, Abdullah Abdullah and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has been formed for transfer of power following President Ghani’s departure.
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