As the Taliban enter the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, India has reportedly evacuated around 50 diplomats and military personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). According to several media reports, they were flown back to New Delhi on Saturday in an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane.

The evacuation comes amid intense fighting being witnessed between the Taliban and the Afghan defence forces in the Kandahar province. Over the previous week, the Taliban has steadily captured important districts on the outskirts of Kandahar city including the Panjwai district which is merely 31 kilometres away from Kandahar. Other reports suggest that the Taliban have entered Kandahar itself on Friday.

Earlier this week, the Indian embassy in Kabul had refuted reports that its consulate in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif were closing down. “We DO HOWEVER continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation particularly around Kandahar & Mazar cities,” it had then said.

The evacuation could have been triggered by the presence of over 7,000 fighters of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed’s anti-India terror group, along with the Taliban.

India has closed two consulates in the wor-torn country, located in Herat and Jalalabad in April 2020. While COVID-19 was given as the official reason for the closure, security considerations could also have played a role in the decision. The Indian embassy in Kabul and the consulate in Mazar continue to function as of now, while the Kandahar consulate would be operated by local staff members, according to the MEA.  However, reports suggest that activities at the consulates have been restricted by multiple countries including India. About 3000 Indian nationals are present in Afghanistan and the government has been making plans to keep them safe.

Kandahar holds both strategic and ideological importance for the Taliban. It serves as an important commercial population centre in southern Afghanistan and is the birthplace of the Taliban.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA), Arindam Bagchi, clarified on Sunday that the Indian consulate in Kandahar had not been closed and is currently operating through local staff members. He also termed the evacuation of Indians from the city “a temporary measure” taken due to intense fighting near Kandahar city.

“India is closely monitoring the evolving security situation in Afghanistan. The safety and security of our personnel is paramount,” the statement also said.

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TOPICS: Afghanistan Taliban