Afghan security personnel stand guard along the road amid ongoing fight between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters in Kandahar on July 9, 2021. (JAVED TANVEER / AFP)
NEW DELHI – India's foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi Sunday said India was monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and has brought back staff from the Kandahar consulate for time being in wake of the intense firing there.
"India is closely monitoring the evolving security situation in Afghanistan. The safety and security of our personnel are paramount. The Consulate General of India in Kandahar has not been closed. However, due to the intense fighting near Kandahar city, India-based personnel have been brought back for the time being," Bagchi said in a statement.
According to reports, the personnel were flown out on an air force plane and the Kandahar consulate has been closed temporarily
"I want to emphasize that this is a purely temporary measure until the situation stabilizes. The consulate continues to operate through our local staff members."
The statement came in wake of media reports that around 50 diplomats and other staff members at the Kandahar consulate in Afghanistan have been evacuated by India, in view of the Taliban fighters rapidly seizing control of a number of key areas in the region.
According to reports, the personnel were flown out on an air force plane and the Kandahar consulate has been closed temporarily.
READ MORE: Afghan forces retake provincial capital after Taliban incursion
"Arrangements are being made to ensure continued delivery of visa and consular services through our Embassy in Kabul," the spokesperson said.
As the United States looked to complete the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan by August-end, ending nearly two-decade of its military presence in the war-ravaged Afghanistan, a surge in series of attacks has been witnessed in the last few weeks in the country.