Last week, India said the security situation in Afghanistan remains “alarming” (File)
India has said that about 50 diplomats and other staff members at the consulate in Kandahar, Afghanistan, have been evacuated in the wake of “intensified fighting near the city of Kandahar”. Sources said the fighting began when the Taliban tried to gain control of the country as the US withdrew its forces after nearly two decades. Sources said the consulate personnel were brought to Delhi last evening by special Air Force planes, which used to avoid Pakistan’s airspace.
“India is closely monitoring the evolving security situation in Afghanistan. The safety of our personnel is of paramount importance,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
“The Consulate General of India in Kandahar has not been closed. However, due to the fierce fighting near Kandahar city, personnel based in India have been brought back for some time. I would like to emphasize that this is a purely This is only a temporary measure till the situation stabilizes. The Consulate continues to function through our local staff members,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi added in the statement.
On Tuesday, the Indian embassy in Kabul said they had no plans to close. Consulates in Kandahar or Mazar-e-Sharif will also remain open. Consulates in Herat and Jalalabad were closed in April last year amid the pandemic.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that India is carefully monitoring the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the security of Indian citizens.
In the past few weeks, there have been several terror attacks in Afghanistan, as the US seeks to complete its troop withdrawal by the end of August, ending its military presence in the war-ravaged country for nearly two decades.
Amid growing concerns in India – which has been supportive of peace and reconstruction efforts – Afghan Ambassador Fareed Mamundje on Tuesday briefed Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on the ground situation.
The Indian Embassy has asked all Indians visiting, living and working in Afghanistan to exercise extreme caution and avoid all non-essential travel into the country.
The embassy, in its advisory, said the security situation remains “alarming” and that terrorist groups have carried out several attacks targeting civilians. The ministry said Indian nationals also face “serious threats” of kidnapping.
Afghanistan was invaded by the US in 2001, shortly after the attacks by al Qaeda of Osama bin Laden on September 11 of that year. Bin Laden, hiding in Pakistan, was killed in May 2011.
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