India's Afghanistan evacuation mission termed 'Operation Devi Shakti'
Aug 24, 2021
New Delhi [India], August 24 : India on Tuesday termed the evacuation operation from Afghanistan in the backdrop of the Taliban's takeover of the country last week as "Operation Devi Shakti".
Taking to Twitter, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said: "Op Devi Shakti continues. 78 evacuees from Kabul arrive via Dushanbe. Salute @IAF_MCC, @AirIndiain and #TeamMEA for their untiring efforts. #DeviShakti."
Under Operation Devi Shakti, an Air India flight carrying 78 passengers, including 25 Indian citizens arrived in New Delhi today from Tajikistan's Dushanbe.
Earlier, Indian authorities on Monday evacuated 75 Sikhs amid the deteriorating situation in war-torn Afghanistan.
Up till now, around 400 individuals from Kabul have been evacuated that covered Indian citizens as well as Afghan nationals including Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's situation is worsening as people are in rush to leave the nation after the Taliban seized control last week. On August 15, the country's government fell soon after President Ashraf Ghani left the nation.
Hundreds of Indian nationals have to be taken out of Kabul which is now under the Taliban's control. India is airlifting its citizens through Dushanbe in Tajikistan and Qatar.
The Indian Air Force has already evacuated around 180 passengers including its Ambassador to Afghanistan and all other diplomats.
Countries have been evacuating their citizens from the war-torn nation.