INDIA EVACUATES RAW & MILITARY OFFICIALS FROM AFGHANISTAN; DROPS WEAPONS FOR ANA

By Our Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, JULY 11, 2021: Indian Air Force C-17s have been spotted dumping arms and ammunition at Kabul and Kandahar Airports in Afghanistan during the second week of July, sources at the airport revealed.

Flight data indicates the Indian military aircraft and Air India flights have increased frequency to Afghanistan ostensibly to evacuate Indian citizens working in the war-ravaged country.

Intel sources however reveal that a number of officials of Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and atleast 1500 Indian military officials have also been evacuated from Kabul and Kandahar during second week of July as US withdrawal from Afghanistan continues.

Sources revealed a IAF C17 flight carrying RAW and Indian military personnel from Afghanistan landed at Hindon Air Force Station at 13:10 pm Indian Standard Time on Sunday, July 11. 

Sources in aviation industry said Indian Airforce transport aircrafts made a number of flights from Kabul and Kandahar in Afghanistan to Hindon Air Force Station, Air Force base in Chandigarh and to Jaipur Airport in India evacuating hundreds of military and RAW officials.

Why such a large number of Indian military personnel were in Afghanistan and what they were doing is not made public by Indian government.

However, in a press conference in November 22020, spokesperson of Pakistan’s military, Major General Babar Iftikhar, had said that India was managing and running dozens of terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. 

A Dawn report, quoting DG ISPR Maj General Iftikhar, said multi-purpose base camps were being utilised by India for training, harbouring and launching of terrorists in Pakistan. Indian intelligence agencies were managing 87 such camps, according to him; 66 in Afghanistan and 21 in India.

Did India evacuate the same officials of RAW and military who were managing different training camps as airport officials were told the status and details of persons on board would be notified later. 

Using Indian military officials in the garb of militants and terrorists is a declared and acknowledged policy of India.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted in a speech that a number of Indian military officials fought against Pakistan Army in East Pakistan by donning the garb of Mukti Bahini.

Work in almost all Indian consulates in Afghanistan has stopped as officials, diplomats, intelligence and military officials are being evacuated fearing a Taliban takeover and collapse of Afghan defence forces. 

Interestingly enough, Indian Air Force is carrying weapons in the C 17s used for evacuating officials.

India was dumping arms and ammunitions in Kabul and Kandahar to bolster up Afghan National Army (ANA) against onslaught of Afghan Taliban.

ARYNEWS, a leading news channel of Pakistan, reported that Indian C-17s dropped 40 tonnes of 122 mm ammunition on flights made on July 10 and July 11.

Taliban have increased their hold in Afghanistan, capturing one district after another since announcement of US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Defence analysts believe Taliban may be able to take over Kabul by September this year if they continue with the current speed of taking over one district after another.