Their departure delayed because of the chaos at the Kabul airport and the deteriorating situation in the city which fell to the Taliban last Sunday, two Indian evacuation flights flew out around 350 people Saturday. The flights, sources said, are expected to land in India in the early hours of Sunday.
Sources said the departures were delayed owing to “logistics issues” at Kabul airport — it is still under the control of US forces. There is chaos outside the airport with the Taliban controlling the access points.
The first two evacuation flights, operated with IAF C-17 aircraft, flew out around 200 people — over 40 last Monday, and around 150 people, including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indian nationals, Tuesday. These missions were accomplished with US support.
The pull-out, the challenge
The chaos outside Kabul airport signals the logistics challenge that evacuation flights face. US troops still control the airport, and the pull-out window is open. But the Taliban control access points.
Following the two evacuation flights, the Ministry of External Affairs said the focus now will be to ensure the safe return of all Indian nationals from Kabul.
The MEA said the immediate priority for the government is to obtain accurate information about all Indian nationals currently in Afghanistan. It has also requested Indians and their employers to urgently share details with the special Afghanistan cell.
According to a rough…
