UK Calls G7 Meeting on Tuesday to Discuss Afghanistan Crisis
Two other flights carrying around 350 people evacuated from Kabul, landed in India on Sunday morning.
107 Indians out of 168 passengers on a special repatriation flight from Kabul on Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft, landed at the Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad on Sunday, 22 August.
(Photo: Twitter/@sengarlive)
107 Indians out of 168 passengers on a special repatriation flight from Kabul on Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft, landed at the Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad on Sunday, 22 August.
Meanwhile, two other flights carrying around 350 people evacuated from Kabul, on Saturday, 21 August - Air India and IndiGo - landed in India from Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe and Qatar's Doha on Sunday morning.
The Taliban took over the presidential palace in Afghanistan on Sunday, 15 August, ousting the US-backed government.
It is estimated that around 400 Indians are stranded in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan returnees to be vaccinated with free Polio Vaccine.
British Defence Ministry said on Sunday that seven Afghan civilians have been killed in the crowds near Kabul airport.
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India has been allowed to operate two flights per day from Kabul to evacuate its nationals stranded in Afghanistan, news agency ANI reported quoting government sources.
Roughly, there are around 400 Indians stranded in Afghanistan, while India continues to look at ways to evacuate them by coordinating with the US and other friendly countries, Indian Express reported.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and his team met on Saturday in the White House Situation Room to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, counterterrorism operations and evacuation efforts.
Vice President Kamala Harris joined the meeting, along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, among others.
The situation at the Kabul airport remains tense, with thousands of US troops trying to secure the airport to complete the evacuations, while tens of thousands of Afghan citizens try to flee the country through evacuation flights.
According to the Biden administration, there are over 15,000 Americans and 50,000 to 60,000 allies that need to evacuated, news agency AFP reported.
"They want to evacuate 60,000 people between now and the end of this month. It's mathematically impossible", European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was reported as saying.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that Afghanistan returnees will be vaccinated with free Polio Vaccine - OPV and fIPV, as a preventive measure against Wild Polio Virus.
British Defence Ministry said in a statement, "conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible", news agency AP reported.
Pakistan has temporarily suspended Kabul flight operations and is not evacuating anyone at the moment, reported news PTI quoting local media reports from Pakistan.
The state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was the sole commercial airline that had been operating flights to and from Kabul during the past few days to help in the evacuation of diplomats and foreign nationals from Afghanistan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the conflict in Afghanistan affects Russia's security situation, according to Russian media. He said that he didn't want Afghanistan militants in the country who might come under the cover of refugees.
Putin also raised apprehensions about Western countries sending Afghan refugees to neighbouring countries while their visas are being processed.
Afghanistan's exiled Defence Minister General Bismillah Mohammadi said on Sunday that Panjshir will continue to resist the Taliban.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that he had called an urgent G7 leaders’ meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Afghanistan crisis.
"I will convene G7 leaders on Tuesday for urgent talks on the situation in Afghanistan. It is vital that the international community works together to ensure safe evacuations, prevent a humanitarian crisis, and support the Afghan people to secure the gains of the last 20 years," he tweeted.
The Embassy of India in Doha, Qatar informed on Sunday evening that a second batch of 146 Indian nationals, who were evacuated from Afghanistan to Doha, were being brought back to India.