PM Modi chairs meet on situation in Afghanistan, says bringing back stranded Indians top priority

New Delhi, Aug 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on deteriorating situation in war-torn Afghanistan at his residence in Delhi.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and NSA Ajit Doval.

The Cabinet Committee on Security is the apex government body that deals with the issues of national security.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Modi also said India must provide all possible help to its Afghan brothers and sisters who are looking towards India for assistance.

Modi directed officials concerned to undertake all necessary measures to ensure safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Afghanistan in the coming days.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was briefed in detail on the current and evolving security and political situation in Afghanistan.

The CCS was also briefed on the recent evacuations of Indian Embassy officials and some members of the Indian community, as well as some members of Indian media.

India rushed back home its ambassador and staff from the embassy in Kabul in a military transport aircraft in the wake of escalating tension, fear and uncertainty gripping the Afghan capital after its take over by the Taliban two days back.

The C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force carrying around 150 people, including diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians, landed at the Hindon airbase near the national capital at around 5 PM after a brief halt at Jamnagar in Gujarat.

It is the second evacuation flight as another C-17 aircraft brought back around 40 people from the Hamid Karzai International (HKI) Airport in Kabul on Monday as part of India''s emergency evacuation mission that was carried out following coordination with relevant authorities including US officials handling security at the airport in the Afghan capital.

Hours after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday, the Taliban took control of Kabul, capturing power nearly 20 years after a US-led military invasion ousted it in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.