Afghanistan crisis: Taliban abducts, questions, releases nearly 150 Indians in Kabul

Reportedly, the government source said that they were taken to a nearby police station for questioning after which they were released.

Around 150 Indians were abducted by the Taliban from outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Saturday morning. Reportedly, the government source said that they were taken to a nearby police station for questioning after which they were released. The government is preparing to evacuate the citizens by airlifting them from the Kabul airport as soon as possible.

According to a source, who somehow managed to escape along with his wife and some others said that they were all boarded on eight minivans around 1 am to reach the airport but were stopped before entering it, reported TOI. He added that the captivated people included mostly Indian citizens and also some Afghan citizens and Afghan Sikhs.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force evacuated 85 Indians from Kabul in C-130J transport aircraft on Saturday morning. According to reports, the evacuees were dropped off at Dushanbe in Tajikistan, from where they will be picked up by an Air India plane. India evacuated its diplomats and security personnel in two operations from the war-torn country but around 1,000 citizens are still stranded in different parts of Afghanistan.

Reportedly, another IAF aircraft, C-17 transport, is on standby to fly to the capital city of Afghanistan to bring back home 150-180 Indian citizens, as soon as they reach the airport.