Thousands Of People Packed Into Afghanistan's Kabul Airport, Indian Ambassador And Diplomatic Staff Were Evacuated

Civilians crowd at the site of an explosion in Afghanistan (Wikimedia Commons/Mirahmad Kouhnavard)

JAKARTA - Indian Embassy officials in Kabul including its ambassador are being evacuated from the Afghan capital, said a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Delhi on Tuesday, August 16.

"Given the current circumstances, it has been decided that our ambassador in Kabul and the staff of the Indian embassy will be immediately transferred to India", Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter.

Thousands of people desperate to flee Afghanistan thronged Kabul's airport on Monday after the Taliban seized the capital Kabul, forcing the United States to halt evacuations.

Taliban insurgents entered Kabul on Sunday and President Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan. Ghani said he wanted to avoid bloodshed.

The situation brings the Taliban closer to taking power in Afghanistan, 20 years after they were ousted by a US-led invasion of foreign forces.

Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem said no diplomats or embassies were targeted. The Taliban will ensure the safety of foreign nationals and diplomatic missions.