New Delhi: India on Sunday brought back nearly 400 people, including 329 citizens and two Afghan parliamentarians, in three different flights as part of their efforts to evacuate their citizens from Kabul in a deteriorating situation background in the city after the Taliban took over.
A total of 168 people included 107 Indians and 23 Sikh and Hindu Afghanistan, flown from Kabul to Hindon’s airbase near Delhi in the C-17 elevator military transport aircraft from the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese citizens were brought back on Air India flights from Dushanbe, the day after they were evacuated to the capital of Tajikistan on the IAF aircraft, officials said.
Separately, a group of 135 Indians, which was evacuated from Kabul to Doha in the last few days by US aircraft and NATO, was flown back from Doha to Delhi with special flights, they said.
India carried out a mission of evacuation coordination with the US, Qatar, Tajikistan and several other friendly countries.
A group of 168 people, who were evacuated from Kabul, including members of the Afghan Parliament Anarkali Honaryar and Narender Singh Khalsa and their families, people who are familiar with the evacuation mission.
“Evacuation continues! The IAF special repatriation flight with 168 passengers on the ship, including 107 Indian citizens, were on our way to Delhi from Kabul,” External Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted for hours before the plane landed in Hindon.
It was lowned that Indians were evacuated to Doha from Kabul were employees of a number of foreign companies operating in Afghanistan.
“Bringing India’s house from Afghanistan! AI 1956 brought 87 Indians departing from Tajikistan for New Delhi.
Two Nepalese citizens were also evacuated and supported by our embassy @indembushanbe.
More evacuation flights to be followed, around 1:20.
India evacuated 200 People include Indian envoys and other staff from the embassy in Kabul in two weight lifting aircraft C-17 from IAF after the Taliban mastered Kabul.
The first evacuation flight brought back more than 40 people, most of the staff at the Indian Embassy, on the last Monday.
Airplane The second C-17 evacuated around 150 people including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and several Indians stranded from Kabul on Tuesday.
The Taliban swept Afghanistan this month, seized control of almost all cities and major cities including Kabul in the background withdrawal US forces.
Following evacuation, MEA said the focus now is to ensure a safe return of SE Mua Indian citizens of the Afghan capital.
MEA says direct priority for the government is obtaining accurate information about all Indian citizens who currently live in Afghanistan.
It also asked Indians and their employers to immediately share detevant details with special Afghan cells.
According to a rough estimate last week, the number of Indians stranded in Afghanistan could be around 400 and India had seen ways to evacuate them including coordination with the US and other friendly countries.
Evacuation from Afghanistan: India brings back to 400 people on three flights
