PHOTO: AP
world
August 17, 2021 – 08:23
Only three foreign embassies are operating in the Afghan capital, Kabul, of Russia, China and Pakistan.
All other countries have evacuated the staff of their embassies. The last place that attracted staff was India.
“Given the circumstances, it has been decided that our ambassador to Kabul and his staff will be relocated to India immediately,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arimdam Bagchi said on Twitter on August 17.
The announcement comes as thousands of Afghans are trying to leave Kabul at all costs after the city was taken over by the Taliban.
Earlier, on August 17, the U.S. Department of Defense said Kabul Airport had reopened after flights were suspended the day before due to the security situation.
Russia has said it will only partially evacuate its embassy staff.
Its ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov will hold talks with Taliban representatives on August 17 to discuss the security of Russian citizens and Embassy staff.
On Monday, US President Joe Biden said the operation to oust US personnel and Afghan workers was ongoing and had sent a message to the Taliban that if they disrupted the operation they would face swift and harsh responses.
The Taliban have said Afghanistan is in complete control after they took over the presidential palace on August 15, just hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Islamic militants met no resistance until they regained control, two decades after being overthrown by US-led foreign forces. Chaotic scenes erupted at Kabul airport on Monday as hundreds of people tried to flee the country. / REL
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