Around 150 Indian citizens were picked up by the Taliban from outside the gates of Kabul airport, on Saturday, 21 August, reported NDTV, citing a top government source. They have now been released and will be evacuated soon, the report added.
The government source also informed NDTV that the Indians were in no immediate danger and that back-channel talks were underway to secure their release. Further, as per the report, they were ferried in trucks to a nearby police station where they were being questioned.
Meanwhile, CNN News18 cited top government sources as saying: “All reports of kidnapping of Indians by Taliban are false”.
(The Quint, however, has not been able to independently verify any of these reports yet.)
WHAT ARE MEDIA REPORTS FROM KABUL SAYING?
As per local media reports in Kabul, Indians were being held at a garage near the airport, with the Taliban reportedly checking travel documents and passports.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesperson, as per a Kabul-based reporter for The New York Times, rejected reports claiming abduction of 150 Indian citizens.
BACKGROUND
Shortly before such reports emerged from Afghanistan, an Indian Air Force flight took off from Kabul with over 85 Indian nationals on board, as per a report by NDTV.
The report also added that another flight (C-17) is on standby to bring back more stranded Indian nationals home.
Meanwhile, earlier, on Friday, US President Joe Biden had reassured the people of the United States that no one would be abandoned in Afghanistan and that his administration will bring them home.
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, scenes of utter distress and desperation have emerged from the Kabul airport, including those of babies being passed to the front of queues at the airport so that at least they can get out of the country, and people falling to their deaths many feet below after they clung to a plane as it took off.
Meanwhile, earlier, on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Taliban released a video of the gurudwara head saying he had been assured of safety. Taliban has also reportedly sent messages urging against evacuation of diplomats, saying India had nothing to fear.
(With inputs from NDTV, NYT, and CNN.)
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