Indian companies operating out of Afghanistan are strongly advised to withdraw their Indian employees out of project sites before air travel gets discontinued, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
The Ministry of External Affairs has asked Indians in Afghanistan to return immediately before commercial flights get discontinued in the war-torn country.
In a security advisory, the MEA said that as violence in Afghanistan is getting escalated, commercial air services to many provinces are getting discontinued.
“All Indian nationals visiting, staying and working in Afghanistan are strongly advised to keep themselves updated on the availability of commercial flights from various parts of Afghanistan and make immediate travel arrangements to return to India before commercial flights are discontinued in their place of stay in Afghanistan,” the MEA said.
Indian companies operating out of Afghanistan are strongly advised to withdraw their Indian employees out of project sites before air travel gets discontinued, the ministry said.
Employees of Afghan or foreign companies should also ask their employers to facilitate their travel back to India from the project sites, the MEA said.
Earlier on Tuesday, India said that it is evacuating its nationals from Afghanistan on a “special flight” from Mazar-i-Sharif — the country’s fourth largest city — as Taliban fighters launch another offensive.
“A special flight is leaving from Mazar-e-Sharif to New Delhi. Any Indian nationals in and around Mazar-e-Sharif are requested to leave for India in the special flight scheduled to depart late today evening,” the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif tweeted.
It asked Indian citizens who want to leave by the special flight to submit the details like their full name and passport number to the consulate immediately.
Around 1,500 Indians are currently staying in Afghanistan.
Last month, India had pulled out around 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar following intense clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters around the city.
UN urged to declare Taliban a ‘destructive group’
Afghanistan’s newly-appointed Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Gholam Mohammad Ishaaqzai urged the United Nations to declare the Taliban a destructive group and to take urgent actions against it.
The government of Afghanistan wants the international community to look at and pressure the main centres of the Taliban in Pakistan, Afghanistan Times reported citing Ishaaqzai.
He also said since the Taliban are not adhering to their commitments, it has thus become the responsibility of the world to take urgent actions against them,” the envoy added.
He also urged Islamabad to stop supporting Taliban and join the world caravan in cooperating with the government of Afghanistan to reach sustainable peace.
This is not the first time when Afghan top officials have blamed Pakistan and its Army for providing a safe haven to the insurgent groups and their affiliates.
The Taliban with the help of the Pakistani Army has intensified attacks in the Nangarhar Province and captured some security check posts in border districts of Achin and Pacher wa Agam. Hesarak, Sherzad, Pacher wa Agam, Deh Bala (Hska Mina), Achin, and Surkhrod Districts have seen an increase in attacks by the insurgents.
According to reports, in the wake of rising casualties among Taliban cadres and its affiliates, including Al-Qaeda, a number of injured terrorists have been relocated to Quetta city for medical treatment. (IANS/ANI/Sputnik)
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