Taliban searched closed Indian Consulates in Afghanistan, took parked cars
The Taliban visited Indian Consulates in two cities of Afghanistan on Wednesday, looked for documents and took away parked cars, NDTV reported citing government sources. The sources expressed concern the insurgents' actions are in contrast to the promises they are making to the world. India has shut all its embassies in that country and evacuated staff members amid a takeover by the terror group.
Taliban members broke locks and searched closets, per reports
Members of the Taliban broke the locks of the Indian Consulate in Kandahar and "searched closets" before taking away parked vehicles, according to reports. At Herat, they entered the embassy compound and stole the vehicles without making a forcible entry into the building. Besides the aforementioned, India also operated Consulates in the Afghan capital Kabul and the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
India rushes to evacuate citizens amid chaos
India managed a challenging evacuation of its embassy staff with two Air Force C-17 aircraft earlier this week. India's ambassador to Afghanistan, Rudrendra Tandon, was brought back in that operation, along with nearly 200 Indian personnel and civilians. Prior to that, India had evacuated its embassy in Mazar-i-Sharif, days before the Taliban captured that city. Many Indian nationals are still reportedly stranded in Kabul.
Taliban didn't want Indian diplomats to leave Kabul
On a related note, the Taliban did not want Indian diplomats to leave the Kabul embassy. The Indian government had received messages from the group's Qatar office assuring it of safety of Indian staffers and security personnel, sources told NDTV. Those messages were sent from the office of Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the chief of the Taliban's political unit.
What is happening in Afghanistan?
The Taliban, a group of insurgents infamous for violence and infringing human rights, regained control of Afghanistan on Sunday. They had seized many key cities before reaching Kabul in a matter of days. Former President Ashraf Ghani also fled the country on Sunday. The group's return coincided with the United States' decision to withdraw troops after 20 years of war.
Many have been killed since the Taliban capture
The Taliban claims to be more tolerant now, saying they would forgive political opponents and uphold women's rights. However, reports from across the country suggest otherwise. They are going door-to-door hunting for people who worked with the US and other foreign forces, a United Nations document revealed. They also killed a relative of a DW journalist while searching for him, the German broadcaster said.
