India evacuates three sniffer dogs, 150 ITBP personnel from embassy in Kabul

Three sniffer dogs along with 150 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel deployed for security at the Indian embassy in Afghanistan, have landed at the Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad.

An Indian Air Force plane evacuated over 170 people from Kabul on Tuesday, including India's ambassador to Afghanistan, a government official said, as diplomats and civilians scrambled to get out of the country after the Taliban seized the capital.

The flight landed in the western Indian city of Jamnagar for refuelling on the way to Delhi.

Indian embassy officials were escorted by the Taliban to Kabul airport, where a military aircraft was on standby to evacuate them after New Delhi decided to shut its mission.

The embassy's decision to ask the Taliban to shepherd the Indians out was made when the fighters closed access to the once heavily fortified neighbourhood after capturing Kabul the previous day.

Thousands of people desperate to flee Afghanistan thronged Kabul's airport on Monday, after the Taliban fighters streamed into the capital unopposed, prompting the United States to pause evacuations.

India, which has invested millions of dollars in development projects across Afghanistan, once operated four consulates in the country, besides the embassy in Kabul.

The last operating consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif was shut down a week ago, days before Taliban insurgents took control of the northern city, where the Afghan army quickly surrendered.

(With inputs from agencies)