Satellite images show how Indians were evacuated from Kabul by a secret operation

New Delhi: In recent satellite images, Indian officials have been caught in the act of exfiltrating 130 people from the Indian embassy in Kabul, including Indian nationals, journalists, diplomats, embassy staff and security personnel. As per the sources, a convoy of 14 bulletproof cars was used to transport the evacuees from the Indian embassy building to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. As there was no acting government in place, the Indian embassy could not ask for help from local authorities for a safe passage to the airport.

The Taliban leadership was also unaware of the movement. Local assets and trusted security personnel were required to ensure a safe passage from the embassy to the airport, where Indian Air Force (IAF) transport jets were being deployed.

Planet labs satellite images provide the first visual evidence of the well-crafted operation in Kabul. On August 16, high-resolution images captured next to the embassy complex what appeared to be a bulletproof convoy.

The evacuees were collected at the airport on August 17 in the early morning, because it was impossible to travel later in the evening owing to the sudden curfew imposed by the Taliban.

A satellite image of the embassy compound taken on August 17 does not show this convoy at the compound, further confirming the convoy’s use.

Earlier, India Today reported that the embassy had contacted all Indians who were travelling to the airport and asked them to stay at the mission overnight. External Affairs Minister (EAM), S Jaishankar, who was on his way to New York for United Nations Security Council meetings, closely monitored the evacuation.

The Indian side expressed concern that rouge elements within the Taliban could have targeted Indians and a call was made to keep all information about the movement from the Taliban leadership.

According to intelligence inputs, operatives of terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba might have already entered Kabul and could have targeted the Indian convoy.

According to sources, the convoy was guarded by four pilot vehicles – two in front and two at the back of the convoy – on the roughly 7 km journey to Kabul airport. Pilot vehicles also relied on local staff who spoke the language and were familiar with the terrain.

As a matter of course, Indian officials informed their US counterparts in charge of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul of the evacuation plans.