EAM says evacuation of Indian staff from Kabul was 'complicated exercise'

The evacuation of the Indian embassy staff from Kabul was a "difficult and complicated" exercise, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, soon after a second military aircraft carrying around 150 people from the Afghan capital landed in Hindon completing a two-phase evacuation mission.

While Jaishankar spoke to his American counterpart Antony Blinken, NSA Ajit Doval had a conversation with President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday evening on the evacuation of the Indian staff, people familiar with the matter said.

In a tweet, Jaishankar, who is in New York on a four-day visit, said he thanked his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian for evacuating 21 Indian nationals from Kabul to Paris.

It is learnt that both Jaishankar and Doval were involved in ensuring the smooth evacuation of around 190 Indian diplomats, officials and security personnel from the embassy in Kabul.

India completed the evacuation of its staff from Kabul, a day after the airport in the Afghan capital witnessed unprecedented scenes of desperate residents rushing into it while some people were even seen clinging to the side of a US military plane in an attempt to flee the country fearing the Taliban's brutality.

"Movement of the Indian Ambassador and the Embassy staff from Kabul to India was a difficult and complicated exercise. Thank all those whose cooperation and facilitation made it possible," Jaishankar tweeted, giving a sense of efforts required to evacuate the staff.

India brought back over 190 people including the Indian ambassador and its staff members from its embassy in Kabul in two C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

While the first aircraft evacuated around 40 staffers on Monday, the second one brought back around 150 staffers including the Indian ambassador on Tuesday.

It is learnt that the people who were to return on the second aircraft on Monday could not board it due to the ground situation.

"Discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan with Foreign Minister

@JY_LeDrian. We will continue to coordinate in the UN Security Council. Thank him for evacuating 21 Indian nationals from Kabul to Paris," Jaishankar said.

Earlier, Jaishankar said he discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan with US Secretary of State Blinken.

"Discussed latest developments in Afghanistan with @SecBlinken. Underlined the urgency of restoring airport operations in Kabul. Deeply appreciate the American efforts underway in this regard," he tweeted at around 3 AM.

The US military had taken control of the security at the Kabul airport on Monday following the unruly scenes with reports saying seven people were killed around its premises.

In a series of tweets, Jaishankar also said that India is monitoring the situation in Kabul continuously.

"Monitoring the situation in Kabul continuously. Understand the anxiety of those seeking to return to India. Airport operations are the main challenge. Discussions on with partners in that regard," he tweeted.

"Significant UN Security Council discussions today on developments in Afghanistan. Expressed the concerns of the international community. Expect to discuss these during my engagements at the UN," he added.