In its first reaction to the unfolding developments in Afghanistan, India on Monday said it is constantly monitoring the situation and will take all steps to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals as well as its interests in that country.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India is also in touch with representatives of the Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities in Afghanistan and will facilitate the repatriation of those who wish to leave that country.
"The situation in Afghanistan is being monitored on a constant basis at high levels. The government will take all steps to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our interests in Afghanistan," Bagchi said.
Capping its month-long rapid advances, the Taliban took positions in Kabul on Sunday evening hours after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left for an unknown destination, paving the way the takeover of the capital as well as the country.
"The security situation in Kabul has deteriorated significantly in the last few days. It is changing rapidly even as we speak," Bagchi said.
He said there are a number of Afghans who have been India's partners in the promotion of mutual developmental, educational and people-to-people endeavours and India will stand by them.
"We have been issuing periodic advisories for the safety and security of Indian nationals in that country, including calling for their immediate return to India," he said.
"We had circulated emergency contact numbers and had also been extending assistance to community members. We are aware that there are still some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return and we are in touch with them," Bagchi added.
5 killed at Kabul airport
Amid a thoroughly chaotic day in Afghanistan where 5 people lost their lives while trying to flee the country, over 200 Indians are reportedly stuck in the country's capital Kabul.
The contingent, including Foreign Ministry staff and paramilitary soldiers tasked for their protection, are yet to be evacuated from the city, NDTV quoted sources as saying.
An Indian aircraft is parked at the chaotic Kabul airport, sources said, adding the big concern is how to safely bring the staff from the Indian mission compound to the airport. The Taliban has enforced a curfew in the city, they said.
The Indians stranded in Kabul include some 100 personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police or ITBP, tasked with protecting the Indian mission in Afghanistan.
Air space closed
The Afghan airspace has been closed to commercial flights after thousands of desperate people overran the tarmac this morning in the hope of getting out of the war-torn country, a day after the Taliban took control of the city. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has already left the country.
Why the delay?
Questions are being raised on why the Indian mission staff were not evacuated in the last three-four days when the situation on the ground was changing fast, sources have said. The missions of other nations in the war-torn country had been thinning out when Taliban started taking city after city before encircling Kabul and entering the city on Sunday.
With Afghanistan's airspace closed, Air India flights coming from the US are likely to be re-routed, they said.
The Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority asked all transit aircraft to reroute, adding any transit through Kabul airspace would be uncontrolled, news agency Reuters reported. Kabul's flight information region covers all of Afghanistan.