India evacuates 150 citizens including embassy officials from Afghan in special flight

New Delhi: Amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, India on Tuesday safely evacuated over 150 citizens, including diplomats from Afghanistan in a special Air Force flight.

Quoting sources IANS reports that Indian Air Force's transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster which took off at 7 a.m. this morning with 150 passengers has left the Kabul airport for India. The aircraft will first land at Jamnagar airbase according to sources.

The evacuees include Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronendra Tandon, embassy's staff, their family members and the journalists, who went to cover the war.

On Sunday, the C-17 Globemaster aircraft had evacuated around 180 Indians.

Commenting on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Monday had said, "The security situation in Kabul has deteriorated significantly in the last few days. It is changing rapidly even as we speak."

He said that the government has been closely monitoring all developments in Afghanistan.

"We have been issuing periodic advisories for the safety and security of the Indian nationals in that country, including calling for their immediate return to India," he said.

"In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately (sic)," Bagchi, , tweeted this morning.

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

The Indian Embassy was shut on Monday as the situation in Kabul worsened. The Embassy will be left to local Afghan personnel for any operation, sources said.

Mr Bagchi had also shared the helpline number -- 919717785379-- as well as the email address to coordinate repatriation.

The move comes amid Afghanistan witnessing its worst political crisis in two decades after Taliban returned to power on Sunday evening, months after the US withdrawal of troops from the South Asian country.

Shocking visuals emerged on social medias has shown terrorists inside the Presidential Palace, shortly after President Ashraf Ghani who was backed by India, resigned on Monday and fled the country.

Tragic scenes captured the plight of locals as wells as foreigners stuck in the country. A video that has caught global attention shows three persons falling to death from a plane as they try to escape the Taliban rule.