IAF plane evacuates 150 plus Indians from Kabul

Gandhinagar, Aug 17 (IANS) An Indian Air Force airplane arrived at the Jamnagar Airforce Base station in Gujarat on Tuesday bringing more than 150 Indians from Afghanistan, including the Indian Ambassador Rudrendra Tandon to Afghanistan.

The IAF plane arrived at Jamnagar around 11.30 a.m. after taking a long route flight from the Hamid Karzai Airport Kabul airport, avoiding the skies of Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan. The plane took off from Kabul at around 8 a.m. in the morning.

These passengers include the employees of Indian Embassy and other working professionals in many projects in Afghanistan.

Passengers were extended warm greetings by Gujarat government's minister of state, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Jamnagar Mayor, the Jamnagar district collector and other officials. All the passengers were taken to an accommodation where they were served lunch. After the refueling of the plane and further check ups, the plane will take off at around 1 p.m.

"The plane arrived at 11.30 a.m. at the Jamnagar airport. We welcomed them. Most of the passengers were terrified and they all thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing them back. The state government has arranged for their lunch here at Jamnagar," said the minister of state, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.