New Delhi: India brought back home Tuesday the Indian ambassador and its staff at the embassy in Kabul. They were brought back in a heavy-lift military transport aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital. The arrival of the Indian ambassador and the Embassy staff were brought back two days after the Taliban took over power in Afghanistan. The C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) landed at Jamnagar in Gujarat at around 11.15am sources said. The aircraft will then proceed to the Hindon airbase near the national capital.
Earlier Tuesday morning, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi gave news of the latest development. He said it was decided that the ambassador and his staff will move to India immediately considering the circumstances in Kabul.
“In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately,” Bagchi tweeted.
The people cited above said the IAF aircraft took off for India at around 11.00am from the Kabul airport with over 120 people. Among them were Indian ambassador Rudrendra Tandon and other officials and security personnel from the embassy. Some Indian nationals are also learnt to have come back in the aircraft.
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It is the second evacuation flight. Earlier Monday, another C-17 aircraft had evacuated around 40 people including a number of Indian embassy staff from Kabul before the operations at the airport in the city were suspended. The two military aircraft flew into Kabul using the Iranian airspace while avoiding the route through the Pakistani airspace, the sources said.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in New York on a four-day visit, spoke to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan.
“Discussed latest developments in Afghanistan with @SecBlinken. Underlined the urgency of restoring airport operations in Kabul. Deeply appreciate the American efforts underway in this regard,” Jaishankar tweeted around 3.00am.