India allowed two daily flights to evacuate citizens from Kabul: Report
Two Indian aircraft would be permitted to operate from the Kabul airport which is under the control of American security forces
India has got the permission to run two flights everyday to bring back its citizens from stranded in Afghanistan. The permission has been granted by the American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, which are in control of the operations at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul after the city fell to Taliban forces.
Two Indian aircraft have been permitted to operate from the Kabul airport which currently is under the control of American security forces, news agency ANI quoted government sources as saying. They are operating 25 flight from the airport as of now with focus on evacuating their citizens, equipment and arsenal, they added.
Over 300 Indians have been rescued from Kabul after Taliban took over the city. Indian passengers are being ferried to Dushanbe in Tajikistan and Qatar from Kabul in a C130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft. India then airlift its citizens these destinations. An Air India flight with around 90 passengers landed in India today.
Permission to operate the first Indian aircraft from Kabul airport was secured after National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval interacted with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan to facilitate the movement of Indian officials inside the American security zone at the airport.
The Indian Air Force has already evacuated around 180 passengers including the country's ambassador to Afghanistan and all other diplomats.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and instructed all concerned officials to undertake all necessary measures to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Afghanistan in the coming days.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has assured that the government is committed to the safe return of all Indian expats from Afghanistan. The ministry said that the main challenge for travel to and from Afghanistan is the operational status of the Kabul airport.
Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, Sunday, and took control of the presidential palace. The Indian government has been closely monitoring all developments in Afghanistan. Countries around the world at conducting evacuation operations on war footing.
President Hamid Karzai and other key figures in the overthrown Afghan government have already fled the country are seeking asylum in various locations around the world.
(With ANI inputs)
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First Published:21 Aug 2021, 10:54 PM IST
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