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Updated August 16th, 2021 at 18:59 IST

Special Indian Air Force plane lands in Kabul for evacuations; the first of many planned

A C-17 Globemaster, this IAF flight is the first of the many flights the Indian govt has planned to send to the South Asian country over the next few days.

Reported by: Sudeshna Singh
Indian Air Force
Credit-AP/Twiter | Image:self
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What may come as a massive sigh of relief for minorities stuck in war-torn Afghanistan, the Indian government on Monday sent an Indian Air Force (IAF) flight for evacuation. A C-17 Globemaster, this IAF flight is the first of the many flights the government has planned to send to the South Asian country over the next few days. Indian embassy staff and their families are to be evacuated as an immediate priority by the flight. The flight, with those evacuated, will reach Delhi later at night. 

The Indian government has taken to the job of evacuating sensitive Afghani nationals and Indians from Kabul after Afghanistan was taken over by a military group- Taliban, thus spreading panic and scare among the residents. 

Minutes before the development, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had assured that the Ministry of External Affairs and others who are responsible will make all the arrangements for the evacuation of the Hindus and Sikhs. The statement of the former Aviation Minister and the present Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas had come in response to Congress' accusation that the PM Modi-led Central government had not set in motion a 'well-thought' plan for the evacuation of the Indians residing in Afghanistan.

"PM and EAM need to come out and clearly spell out our policy for the safe return of our citizens, embassy personnel," said party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in the press release. As per reports, over 200 Indians, including foreign ministry staff, are yet to be evacuated from Afghanistan's capital Kabul. 

Taliban reach Kabul airport

Meanwhile, after a mad rush was witnessed at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Aiport as people in panic and scare tried to escape the now-Taliban-captured capital city, the military group, now going by the name  'Islamic Emirate', reached the spot. The group, in what is being called its first arrest after taking over power, has taken into custody over 80 afghans from the airport. They are referring to those arrested as 'thieves'. 

Taliban takeover 

As US troops retreat after 20 years from war-torn Afghanistan, the Taliban has launched an offensive taking over cities like Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah, gradually encircling the government in Kabul. While Kandahar and Herat fell on Thursday, forcing government officials and their entourage to flee to the airport to escape the city by air, Mazar-e-Sharif fell on Friday, while Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah on Saturday, strengthening the Taliban's stronghold. Finally, on Sunday, as US troops evacuated all their diplomats, fleeing via helicopters, the Taliban held talks with the Ghani government and took over Kabul along with the Afghan military. 

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Published August 16th, 2021 at 18:59 IST

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