WATCH: People descend on runway, cling onto US military jet in attempt to flee Kabul
Taliban insurgents swept Kabul after the US-backed Afghan government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing an unprecedented end to a 2-decade campaign in which US and its allies had tried to transform the war-ravaged nation. Thousands of desperate people converged at the Kabul international airport in hopes of getting on an evacuation flight and leave the country.
Video: People run on tarmac of Kabul international airport as a US military aircraft attempts to take off. pic.twitter.com/9qA36HS0WQ
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 16, 2021
Inside Reach 871, A US C-17 Packed With 640 People Trying to Escape the Taliban | @TaraCopp and @MarcusReports https://t.co/lf3LajxzzX pic.twitter.com/gLiAwD6k9T
— Defense One (@DefenseOne) August 16, 2021
The airport has already been shut for commercial flights and subsequently, the US military has taken control of the airport security to facilitate the evacuation of foreign diplomats and citizens.
Video on social media shows people falling to their deaths from an aircraft that had taken off from Kabul airport, presumably having attached themselves from the outside. pic.twitter.com/9KHeiuawXj
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 16, 2021
India along with many other countries was surprised at the lightning advances made by the Taliban across Afghanistan in capturing power after the US began pulling out its troops on May 1 from the country, ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
India has been a key stakeholder in Afghanistan and it has invested nearly USD 3 billion in carrying out nearly 500 projects across that country.
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is largely seen as a setback for India as the militant outfit has been strongly backed by Pakistan's military.
An IAF aircraft on Tuesday left from Kabul to India carrying the Indian ambassador and other personnel as part of the emergency evacuation in view of the prevailing situation in the Afghan capital following its take over by the Taliban, people familiar with the development said.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was decided that the ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately in view of the prevailing circumstances.
In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately.
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) August 17, 2021
An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft brought back some personnel to India on Monday and Tuesday's flight is the second one.
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WITH PTI INPUTS
