Modi chairs Cabinet meet on Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sat down to chair a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) over the troubling developments in Afghanistan. The Taliban took over Afghanistan after storming the Presidential Palace in capital Kabul on Sunday. The swift takeover has left civilians worried as they flee the clutches of the Taliban, infamous for violence, executions, and terror acts.
Meeting
Defence, Home, Finance Ministers attended meet
Indian ambassador to Afghanistan Rudrendra Tandon briefed the CCS meeting, held at the PM's residence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla were among those present during the meet. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar could not attend as he is on a four-day visit to the US to attend UN Security Council events.
Government
PM in constant touch with officials over Afghanistan
Reportedly, Modi has constantly been in touch with officials over the Afghanistan crisis. A source told ANI, "He was taking stock of the situation till late in the night Monday and was updated when the flight (with staff of the Indian embassy in Kabul) took off. He has instructed that adequate arrangements be made to ensure food for all those who returned at Jamnagar."
Information
Evacuation of Indians from Kabul 'difficult and complicated'
Earlier, Jaishankar had said the movement of the Indian ambassador and the embassy staff from Afghanistan to India was a "difficult and complicated exercise." Notably, Tandon reached Delhi from Kabul earlier in the day.
Evacuation
India evacuated diplomats, officials, civilians from Kabul
A C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force evacuated roughly 150 people from Kabul and landed at the Hindon airbase near Delhi. It carried diplomats, officials, security personnel, and some stranded Indians. Another C-17 aircraft brought back around 40 people from Kabul on Monday. The evacuation was conducted in coordination with relevant authorities, including the United States forces, who are managing Kabul airport.
Afghanistan
What's happening in Afghanistan?
The Taliban stormed the capital Kabul on Sunday after taking over several key cities since the US withdrew its troops to end a two-decade war. On Sunday, the group seized the Presidential Palace in Kabul, taking control of the capital. President Ashraf Ghani also fled the country on Sunday. Horrific visuals of civilians trying to escape the country are now emerging online.