An Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft is bringing back at least 46 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, along with many Indian nationals, from crisis-hit Kabul to India on Monday. In the special IAF flight, there are three Sri Guru Granth Sahib as well which are being escorted to India. Visuals surfaced of Sikh men holding their holy books over their heads at the Kabul airport while waiting for the repatriation flight to arrive.

Indian World Forum President Puneet Singh Chandhok said international forces have escorted the evacuees to the Indian Air Force aircraft. “I can confirm that the stranded Indian Nationals and 46 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs with three Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (holy book) are currently inside the Kabul Airport and are being escorted by International forces to the Indian Air Force aircraft on the ground,” Chandhok said.

Earlier in the day, India brought back 146 of its nationals in four different flights from Qatar’s capital Doha, days after they were evacuated from Afghanistan by NATO and American aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation in the war-torn country.

Indians were flown back to Delhi as part of India’s mission to evacuate its citizens and Afghan partners from Kabul following its takeover by the Taliban over a week back. It was the second batch of Indians to be brought back from Doha after their evacuation from Kabul.

A total of 135 Indians were flown back to Delhi from Doha in a special flight on Sunday. Out of the second batch of Indians who returned home from Doha, 104 people were brought back in a Vistara flight, 30 by a Qatar Airways flight and 11 of them returned by an Indigo flight. One person returned by an Air India flight.

News Source : First Post