Afghanistan Taliban Crisis LIVE: VP Amrullah Saleh Declares Himself Caretaker President
Afghanistan Taliban Crisis LIVE: US President Joe Biden said that he stands "squarely behind" his decision to withdraw forces from Afghanistan & that the govt's collapse was quicker than anticipated
India on Tuesday rushed back home its ambassador and staff from the embassy in Kabul in a military transport aircraft in the wake of escalating tension, fear and uncertainty gripping the Afghan capital after its take over by the Taliban two days back.
The C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force carrying around 150 people, including diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians, landed at the Hindon airbase near the national capital at around 5 PM after a brief halt at Jamnagar in Gujarat. (PTI)
Days after Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan, Germany has halted development aid for the country, news agency AFP reported on Tuesday.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday expressed her deep concern over Taliban's return to Afghanistan, particularly about the safety of women and girls, and called on Monday for world leaders to take urgent action.
Yousafzai said US President Joe Biden "has a lot to do" and must "take a bold step" to protect the Afghan people, adding she had been trying to reach out to several global leaders.
"This is actually an urgent humanitarian crisis right now that we need to provide our help and support," Yousafzai told BBC's Newsnight.
The government of Bangladesh has turned down a request from the US to provide temporary shelter to some people from Afghanistan. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen told the UNB in Dhaka that Bangladesh received a request from the US which it rejected as it is already facing problems by giving shelter to the Rohingya refugees who came to the country from Myanmar.
The US based social media giant Facebook has decided to ban the Taliban and all content supporting it from all its services under "Dangerous Organisation Policies."
A Facebook Spokesperson said, "the Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organiaation under US law and we've banned them from our services under our Dangerous Organisation Policies. This means we remove accounts maintained by/on behalf of the Taliban and ban their praise, support and representation."
"We also have a dedicated team of Afghanistan experts, who are native Dari and Pashto speakers and have knowledge of local context, helping to identify and alert us about emerging issues on the platform," the spokesperson added.
Indian ambassador R Tandon was repatriated from Kabul today and landed in Jamnagar in an Air India flight. Tandon held a press conference and said the entire Kabul is now being controlled by the Taliban but the Indians stranded in Afghanistan should not worry as the Indian government will rescue its people and bring back the citizens. Tandon also said that the Indian government has not abandoned the people of Afghanistan and will continue to be their ally.
Indian citizens from Afghanistan chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' after landing in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Indian citizens from Kabul land safely in Gujarat's Jamnagar
Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft that took off from Kabul with Indian officials has landed in Jamnagar, Gujarat: ANI Sources
Responding to the collapse of the Afghan government following the seizure of power by the Taliban and the chaotic scenes at Kabul airport as thousands of people attempt to leave the country, Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary-General, said:
“What we are witnessing in Afghanistan is a tragedy that should have been foreseen and averted. It will only be compounded further without swift and decisive action from the international community. Thousands of Afghans at serious risk of Taliban reprisals - from academics and journalists to civil society activists and women human rights defenders - are in danger of being abandoned to a deeply uncertain future.
“Foreign governments must take every necessary measure to ensure the safe passage out of Afghanistan for all those at risk of being targeted by the Taliban. This includes expediting visas, delivering support for evacuations from Kabul airport, providing relocation and resettlement, and suspending all deportations and forced returns. We urge the US to provide continued security at the airport while evacuations are ongoing.
Indian Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff to move to India immediately in view of the prevailing situation in Afghan capital: MEA
An Afghan military plane crashed in Uzbekistan over the weekend, and Uzbek authorities on Monday issued conflicting reports on the cause. The wreckage came as dozens of Afghan military aircraft carrying hundreds of servicemen reportedly reached Uzbekistan, among the thousands fleeing the country after the Taliban recaptured the Afghan capital of Kabul.
The plane crash in southeastern Uzbekistan, in the Surkhandarya region on the border with Afghanistan, was first reported by local media. Uzbekistan's Defense Ministry initially said it was studying videos and reports of the crash, then confirmed that the plane did crash, without elaborating.
Later on Monday, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported that it was told by the Uzbek Defense Ministry that Uzbekistan's air defense system had downed the plane and averted an attempt by an Afghan military plane to illegally cross Uzbekistan's air border.'' Two pilots, the agency said, were hospitalized in serious condition.
India's home ministry on Tuesday said it is reviewing visa provisions in view of the current situation in Afghanistan.
A new category of electronic visa called “e-Emergency X-Misc Visa” are being introduced to fast-track visa applications for entry into India, it announced via the official Twitter handle.
India's C-17 Globemaster has left from Kabul and 150 Indian citizens which include diplomats will land in New Delhi at 12:30 pm. According to government officials, at least 200 Indian officials, comprising diplomats and security, are waiting to be evacuated.
The United Nations Security Council, which led a meeting on the developing situation in Afghanistan on Monday, called for talks to create a new government in Afghanistan and an end to fighting and abuse after U.N. chief Antonio Guterres warned of “chilling" curbs on human rights and mounting violations against women and girls.
Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov said Taliban had made Kabul safer in the first 24 hours than it had been under the previous authorities: Reuters
Several Indians in Afghanistan wanting to be repatriated to India are in a secure area and will be brought back home safely in a day or two, reports ANI
The Pentagon has confirmed that US forces shot and killed two individuals it said were "armed" at the Kabul airport on Monday, adding that one American soldier was also injured. It also said that the US military is sending another battalion of about 1000 troops to help safeguard the airport.
Background
Afghanistan Taliban Crisis LIVE: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Security Council on Monday to "use all tools at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan" and guarantee that basic human rights will be respected.
"We are receiving chilling reports of severe restrictions on human rights throughout the country. I am particularly concerned by accounts of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls of Afghanistan," he told the 15-member council. "We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan," he said.
The Pentagon has confirmed that US forces shot and killed two individuals it said were "armed" at the Kabul airport on Monday, adding that one American soldier was also injured. It also said that the US military is sending another battalion of about 1000 troops to help safeguard the airport.
Before this, at least seven people were killed at Kabul airport as hundreds tried to forcibly enter planes leaving the Afghan capital, witnesses told Reuters.
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