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Afghanistan crisis live updates: Situation is grim, says Indian envoy after landing at Jamnagar from Kabul
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) successfully carried out a three-day evacuation mission to bring back 192 Indians stranded in what is now the Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Earlier in the day, the Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft that took off from Kabul with Indian officials landed in Jamnagar in Gujarat. Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Rudrendra Tandon added that the people of Afghanistan`s `welfare and our relationship with them is very much in our mind.`
Highlights
- Indian embassy officials in Kabul are now in the country
- A Taliban official has announced a general amnesty for all in Afghanistan and urged women to join its government
- The Indian government has introduced a new category of e-visa to fast-track visa applications for entry into India from strife-torn Afghanistan
Latest Updates
India's ministry of external affairs planned this evacuation mission and carried it out in three days. "We had a very large mission. We had a mission of 192 persons that were evacuated from Afghanistan, in literally a period of just three days, in a very orderly fashion in two phases. Apart from the personnel of the embassy, there were also people from the public sector companies in Afghanistan and there were people from Air India, who also needed to be evacuated as the situation in Kabul city was rapidly changing. Then there were also Indian citizens who found themselves in distress due to the fast changing situation. But our policy was that anyone who reaches the embassy, would be taken into the evacuation mission and will have a safe and secure exit from the country," Rudrendra Tandon, Minister of of External Affairs said. (IANS)
More than 40,000 people wounded during fighting in Afghanistan have been treated since June at health facilities supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), including 7,600 so far this month, the aid agency said on Tuesday (August 17).
Reuters
Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to hold a virtual meeting of Group of Seven leaders at the earliest opportunity to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, his office said after the British leader spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday (August 17). "Both leaders resolved to use their bilateral and multilateral influence to encourage international partners to adopt a joined-up approach to the challenges ahead," Downing Street said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by phone.
Reuters
Reaching out to those in need in Afghanistan, the Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had tweeted on August 16:
Facebook announced that it has banned the Taliban and all content supporting the insurgents from its platforms as it considers the group to be a terrorist organisation. The company says it has a dedicated team of Afghan experts to monitor and remove content linked to the group, the BBC reported. For years, the Taliban has used social media to spread its messages. Its rapid takeover of Afghanistan raises fresh challenges for technology firms on how to deal with content related to the group. (IANS)
"Temporarily Air India had to suspend its commercial services because of the conditions in the airport. However, we continue to ensure that anyone who is stuck there is somehow brought here for which the MEA has opened a help desk that is operating already," Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Rudrendra Tandon said after landing at Jamnagar, Gujarat. He added that India has not forgotten about the people of Afghanistan and their welfare. (ANI)
Evacuated Indians from Kabul, Afghanistan chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' after landing in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Watch here:
Japan has closed its embassy in Kabul due to the worsening security situation in Afghanistan and the last remaining twelve embassy personnel had left the country, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. "Due to the rapid worsening of the security situation in Afghanistan, we are temporarily closing our embassy there," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it was relocating the embassy's duties to an office in Istanbul. "Twelve remaining embassy personnel have been flown out of Kabul airport on a military flight provided by a friendly nation and been evacuated to Dubai."
Britain cautioned the Taliban on Tuesday that Afghanistan must never be used to launch terror attacks but added that the West must try to positively influence the insurgents who have grabbed power after the United States withdrew its forces. "Our message is going to be this: Afghanistan must never be used to launch terrorist attacks against the West, we`ve had 20 years of success in that regard," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky. He added that the West would have to be pragmatic in its relations with the Taliban, try to see if it could moderate the new rulers of Afghanistan and even try to convince them to be "inclusive". (Reuters)
The Government of India (GoI) has introduced a new category of electronic visa called “e-Emergency X-Misc Visa” to fast-track visa applications for entry into India amid the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. “MHA reviews visa provisions in view of the current situation in Afghanistan. A new category of electronic visa called “e-Emergency X-Misc Visa” introduced to fast-track visa applications for entry into India,” Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI on Tuesday.
A Taliban official has announced a general amnesty for all in Afghanistan and urged women to join its government. Enamullah Samangani, member of Islamic Emirate's cultural commission, made the comments Tuesday (August 17) on Afghan state television, which the militants now control. "The Islamic Emirate don't want women to be victims," he said, using the militants' term for Afghanistan. He added, "The structure of government is not fully clear, but based on experience, there should be a fully Islamic leadership and all sides should join."
IAF aircraft carrying Indian officials has landed in Gujarat's Jamnagar.
Pakistan's ambassador at the United Nations says US President Joe Biden's endorsement of the previous American administrations' decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan was "a logical conclusion to this conflict." Akram told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Monday (August 16) that the international community must now work together "to ensure an inclusive political settlement for a long-term peace, security and development of Afghanistan."
Europe has to create humanitarian corridors to receive refugees fleeing from Afghanistan, and also to avoid uncontrolled flows of illegal immigrants, the European Union's Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on Tuesday (August 17) in an interview.
US President Joe Biden has decided to allocate up to 500 million dollars to help refugees from Afghanistan, the White House has said in a statement.
Amid the efforts to coordinate the evacuation of Indian citizens from Afghanistan, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke to his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in detail last evening (August 16).The US security forces are controlling the Kabul airport and after the conversation between the two NSAs, the Indian contingent was taken inside the American security zone at the airport from where they took off this morning, top sources told ANI.The Indian C-17 aircraft was also given clearance to land at the Kabul airstrip after coordinating the evacuation efforts with the American officials on ground.Sources said that due to the situation on ground in Kabul, the Indian officials' exit had become a bit difficult but was arranged for ultimately.
Pakistan has emphasised the importance of an "inclusive" political settlement in Afghanistan as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and discussed the chaotic and rapidly changing situation in the war-ravaged country after the Taliban recaptured the Afghan capital of Kabul. (PTI)
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said his country will accept the government in Afghanistan formed by Taliban if "it's a government of the people". "No matter which new government is formed, if a Taliban government is formed, which has been done, our door will be open to them if it is a government of the people," Momen said on Monday.
In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately: MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi
(ANI)
MHA announces new category of visa called ;e-Emergency X-Misc Visa' for Afghans: Officials.
PTI
Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft has taken off from Kabul with more than 120 Indian officials in it. The staff was brought inside the secure areas of the airport safely, late last evening: Sources
(ANI)
Afghanistan citizens are blaming Pakistan for the country's current situation as it gave shelter to the Taliban when its citizens were fighting the terrorist group, said Fabien Baussart, the President of Center of Political and Foreign Affairs. Baussart in Times of Israel wrote that the areas in northwestern Pakistan were used by the Taliban to rearrange and resurrect following the assault by the United States and allied forces in 2001.However, there have been angry reactions on social media blaming Pakistan and its spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) for the ongoing mess in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed the Afghanistan situation with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as he made a round of calls to foreign ministers with direct interests in the country overrun by the Taliban. Jaishankar tweeted after the call on Monday (August 16) that while discussing the latest developments in Afghanistan he "underlined the urgency of restoring airport operations in Kabul. Deeply appreciate the American efforts underway in this regard".
"I stand squarely behind my decision," US President Joe Biden said. "After 20 years I`ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces. That`s why we're still there." Breaking his silence on the US pullout after scenes of bedlam dominated television news channels for days, Biden blamed the Taliban`s takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the US-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group. He warned Taliban leaders they would face "devastating force" should they interfere with the US pullout.
(With Reuters input)
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, has set up a special Afghanistan cell.
Ashraf Ghani, who has been Afghanistan's president since 2014, has fled the country.
Ashraf Ghani should face trial for fleeing in most disgraceful manner: Russian envoy
As violence intensifies in Afghanistan, United Nations leaders are warning of a massive humanitarian crisis in the country that is having a devastating impact on civilians, particularly women and children.
Afghanistan crisis in pics: Future uncertain for women, kids as Taliban takes over
The Border Security Force of India is keeping a close eye on what's happening in Afghanistan. BSF Director General (DG) SS Deswal said, "What is happening in the neighbouring country is its internal matter, but we are keeping a close watch on the situation."
Islamic militant group Hamas has congratulated Taliban for taking control over Afghanistan. The group said in a statement, "We congratulate the Muslim Afghan people for the defeat of the American occupation on all Afghan lands, and we congratulate the Taliban movement and its brave leadership on this victory, which came as the culmination of its long struggle over the past 20 years."
Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi's video of running to the bank has gone viral.
India will help the Sikh and Hindu minorities of Afghanistan. "We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan," foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.
A scary video has surfaced from Kabul, Afghanistan, in which two people can be seen falling from an aircraft. They held on to it from outside when it was taking off.
Shocking Visuals: 2 people seen falling from mid-air plane in Kabul, were hanging on tires
All commercial flights have been suspended at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, a statement by the airport authority said on Monday, reports IANS. Kabul airport was crowded on Sunday night with over 2,000 people hoping to board commercial flights leaving the country.
The Russian embassy in Kabul has said that the Ashraf Ghani, the current Afghan president, left the country with many bags full of cash. It was so much that it couldn't even fit in the plane he was flying in.
Fearing for their lives, many Afghanistan residents were seen trying to get hold of an aeroplane at the international airport. Some even tried to catch hold of the window of a moving plane.
Many local residents have started fleeing Afghanistan in order to safeguard themselves from advancing Taliban.
People in massive numbers evacuate Afghanistan after Taliban's siege of Kabul
The world is watching Afghanistan, in particular Kabul, with bated breath. Nobody is sure how the crisis is going to unfold with Taliban taking full control. Here are some pics that will tell you about the current situation in Afghanistan.
9 pics that tell the story of Kabul's change of fate under Taliban
Taliban has captured a majority of the provinces in Afghanistan. They have control over most of the big cities in the country. This has made the citizens angry with the Afghan army.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the international community should come together for the settlement of peace in Afghanistan, and Pakistan can play a major role in it. "Pakistan is very clear on our position: we believe that a negotiated political settlement is the only way forward. We do not wish to see continued cycle of civil war & want the people of Afghanistan to thrive, not simply survive," Qureshi tweeted on Monday.
China on Monday expressed hope that the Taliban will stand by its commitment of establishing an open and inclusive Islamic government in Afghanistan and will ensure a peaceful transition of power without violence and terrorism.
Taliban fighters in the Afghan capital, Kabul, started collecting weapons from civilians on Monday because people no longer need them for personal protection, a Taliban official said. "We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians," the official told Reuters.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says the government is planning to fly out 1,500 more people from Afghanistan over the next two days. The first flight carrying British nationals has landed in the UK, he said Monday, as countries scrambled to evacuate their diplomats, Afghan employees and their families from the chaotic airport in Kabul.
Taliban entered the TOLOnews compound in Kabul, checked the weapons of the security staff, collected govt-issued weapons, agreed to keep the compound safe: Afghanistan's TOLOnews.
Chaos as thousands flee Afghanistan after Taliban takeover
Thousands packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government. US soldiers fired warning shots as they struggled to manage the chaotic evacuation.
Taliban fighters in the Afghan capital, Kabul, started collecting weapons from civilians on Monday because people no longer need them for personal protection, a Taliban official said. "We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians," the official told Reuters.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban leader freed from a Pakistani jail on the request of the US less than three years ago, has emerged as an undisputed victor of the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the Guardian reported. While Haibatullah Akhundzada is the Taliban`s overall leader, Baradar is its political chief and its most public face.
Uzbekistan studies reports of Afghan plane crash
Uzbekistan's Defence Ministry it was studying reports that an airplane with Afghan military identification marks on it has crashed. Uzbek media reported that the plane went down Sunday evening in the southeast of the country not far from the border with Afghanistan. At least one person was reported injured.
The Defence Ministry spokesman told Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency that it was conducting 'a thorough analysis' using videos and reports that have surfaced online.
China willing to develop 'friendly relations' with Afghanistan's Taliban, reports ANI news agency
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is planning to deploy soldiers to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of German nationals and Afghans in danger from the Taliban, AFP reported, quoting parliamentary sources.
AI-174 San Francisco-Delhi is also expected to land at Sharjah in an hour, say reports.
The AI-126 Chicago-Delhi flight that was diverted to Sharjah for refuelling due to closure of Afghan airspace has landed now.
Russian ambassador to meet Taliban in Kabul on Tuesday. Russia will decide on recognising the new Taliban govt based on its 'conduct', says Russian diplomat, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, all commercial flights have been suspended at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, TOLO News reported on Monday, quoting a statement, after the closure of Afghan airspace.
Amid the deepening crisis in Afghanistan, at least five people have been killed in Kabul International Airport as hundreds of people tried to forcibly enter planes leaving Kabul, news agency Reuters reported on Monday, quoting witnesses.
Fearing a return of the brutal Taliban rule of the past, thousands of Afghan nationals, including men, have been trying to flee the war-ravaged country after the fall of Kabul and other provincial capitals of Afghanistan. Those who have lived in areas controlled by the Islamic militants in recent years are watching with growing fear as the insurgents have overrun most of the country while international forces withdraw. Government offices, shops and schools are still shuttered in areas recently captured by the Taliban, with many residents either lying low or fleeing to the capital, Kabul.
BREAKING! Air India's AI 126 Chicago-Delhi flight diverted to Gulf airspace due to the closure of Afghan airspace.
BREAKING: Due to the closure of Afghan airspace, flights can't operate, confirms Air India to ANI on Kabul-bound flight from Delhi.
A video has gone viral on social media that shows hundreds jostling to board a flight at the Kabul Airport. Visuals from the Kabul Airport, where reportedly thousands of people have gathered to flee the war-torn country, are doing rounds on social media platforms since Sunday.
BREAKING! US troops fired in the air at Kabul's airport on Monday to prevent hundreds of civilians running onto the tarmac. "The crowd was out of control," a US official told Reuters and said that the firing was only done to defuse the chaos.
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has said that the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated much faster than expected. She implored Taliban leaders to uphold human rights in Afghanistan by allowing women to continue in work and education and to let foreigners and Afghans who want to leave the country go.
"I would just again implore those who made these moves in recent days to acknowledge what the international community has called for - human rights and the safety of their people," Ardern said.
"What we want to see is women and girls being able to access work and education. These are things that have traditionally not been available to them where there has been governance by Taliban," she added.
Major airlines are rerouting flights to avoid Afghanistan airspace after Taliban insurgents took control of the presidential palace in Kabul. United Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said they were not using the country's airspace.
BREAKING! Air India Kabul bound flight from Delhi will now fly at 12:30 pm today, instead of 8:30 pm.
War is over: The Taliban fighters have declared that the war in Afghanistan was over after they took control of the presidential palace in Kabul. "Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years," Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban`s political office, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
"Thanks to God, the war is over in the country," Mohammad Naeem added.
Media reports claim that there has been gunfire in the area of the Kabul airport, the main point of evacuations out of Afghanistan.
As per the latest reports, the Pentagon has authorized another 1,000 troops to help evacuate US citizens and Afghans who worked for them from Kabul. The Biden-led government has also said that it would assume air traffic control to facilitate the departure of thousands of Americans.
The official statement said that it is working to secure the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul 'to enable the safe departure of the US and allied personnel from Afghanistan via civilian and military flights'.
Amid the worsening situation in Afghanistan, former US President Donald Trump has called on his successor Joe Biden to step down. The Republican said that it was time for Biden to resign for what he has allowed happening in Afghanistan. Click here to read more
Antonio Guterres to address the UN Security Council's open meeting on Afghanistan situation.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that nobody should bilaterally recognise the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. He added, "We want a united position amongst all the like-minded as far as we can get one so that we do whatever we can to prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into being a breeding ground for terror."
A video has gone viral on social media that reportedly shows the chaos at the Kabul Airport, hours after the Taliban insurgents took control of the Afghan capital.
Meanwhile, the US Department of State has released a joint statement on the Afghanistan situation saying that they support and are working to secure, and call on all parties to respect and facilitate, the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country.
The official statement issued along with several other countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom further read that those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan bear responsibility—and accountability—for the protection of human life and property, and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order.
ALSO READ | Why Afghanistan is facing wrath of Taliban; a brief history of dreaded extremist group
"Left country to avoid bloodshed," said Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani as Kabul fell to the Taliban fighters on Sunday. Ghani said he took the step in order to avoid bloodshed and clashes with the Taliban that would endanger millions of Kabul residents. The 72-year-old who has been leading the country since 2014, said that from now on, the Taliban will be responsible for the 'honour, wealth and preservation' of Afghanistan's people. Click here to read more
Amid the deepening Afghanistan crisis, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he is 'deeply concerned' about the situation and urged the Taliban insurgents to exercise utmost restraint. He said that the conflict in Afghanistan is forcing hundreds of thousands to flee amid reports of serious human rights violations. Click to read more
"All abuses must stop," the UN Chief expressed and added that the international humanitarian law and human rights, especially the hard-won gains of women and girls, must be preserved.
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/KABUL: The IAF aircraft carrying Indian officials landed in Gujarat's Jamnagar today (August 17). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) successfully carried out a three-day evacuation mission to bring back 192 Indians stranded in what is now the Taliban controlled Afghanistan. " I am very happy that the mission is over now and we are back home safely without any untoward incident or accident," said Indian envoy Rudrendra Tandon at Jamnagar IAF airbase.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, amid mounting criticism of his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, took a defiant stance and said "American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves."
As Taliban took over Kabul and horrible images of desperate Afghans trying to flee the country came to fore, many criticised the United States for leaving Afghanistan in a mess. But Biden said "the developments of the past week reinforced that ending US. military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision." He added, "It is wrong to order American troops to step up when Afghanistan’s own armed forces would not. "
On Monday (August 16), the Ministry of External Affairs of India has said that the doors are open for the Sikh and Hindu minorities of Pakistan. "We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan," foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has compared the Taliban control of Kabul with breaking the 'shackles of slavery'. He said, "You take over the other culture and become psychologically subservient. When that happens, please remember, it is worse than actual slavery. It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now, they have broken the shackles of slavery".
On the other hand, the Russian embassy in Kabul said that the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani fled the country with vehicles full of cash. There was so much that he had to leave money behind as it wouldn't fit in his plane.
After the takeover of Kabul, China on Monday said that it is willing to develop 'friendly relations' with Afghanistan's new incoming Taliban regime, said reports. Whereas Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is planning to deploy soldiers to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of German nationals and Afghans in danger from the Taliban, according to international media reports, quoting parliamentary sources.
Fearing a return of the brutal Taliban rule of the past, thousands of Afghan nationals, including men, have been trying to flee the war-ravaged country after the fall of Kabul and other provincial capitals of Afghanistan. Those who have lived in areas controlled by the Islamic militants in recent years are watching with growing fear as the insurgents have overrun most of the country while international forces withdraw.
The United Nations Secretary-General has said that he is 'deeply concerned' about the current situation and has urged the Taliban to exercise utmost restraint. Antonio Guterres stated that the UN remains determined to contribute to a peaceful settlement and promote the human rights of all Afghans.