As Taliban Takes Control Over More Places, India Sends Evacuation Flight To Afghanistan
As the advancing Taliban militants continue to drive out the Afghan Army from more and more parts of the country, India has announced that its citizens living in the country will be evacuated.
On Tuesday, the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh Province said that a special flight is leaving from Mazar-e-Sharif to New Delhi. Any Indian nationals in and around Mazar-e-Sharif are requested to leave for India in the special flight.
Last month, India had evacuated its personnel from Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan.?
India had closed its consulates in Herat and Jalalabad last year.
Mazar-e-Sharif is the fourth-largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of over 500,000 people.
According to Reuters, Taliban fighters are consolidating their grip, moving into government buildings in the town of Aibak, capital of Samangan province on the main road between Mazar-i-Sharif and the national capital, Kabul.
Over the last few weeks, the Taliban have captured several districts in Afghanistan. The city of Zaranj, near the Iranian border, became the first provincial capital to fall into Taliban control on Friday.
In a major blow to the Afghan government, the Taliban have so far seized control of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, Taluqan city, Sheberghan and Samangan province's capital Aybak city.
The fall of Mazar-i-Sharif into the control of the ultra-conservative militia will be a major blow to the Afghan government and the army that have been struggling and steadily loosing ground to the Taliban which has stepped up their attack ever since the US pulled out its troops.
It has also been reported that the Taliban killed a young woman for wearing tight clothing and not being accompanied by a male relative.
The young woman was shot dead by Taliban extremists in the village of Samar Qandian, which is controlled by the militant group.
The woman was wearing a burqa, a veil that covers the face and body, at the time of the attack, the police said.
