India has named the complex evacuation mission "Operation Devi Shakti"
Amid reports that 16 Afghanistan evacuees out of the 78 that landed in India yesterday are coronavirus positive, the Indo Tibetan Border Police tweeted this afternoon saying no evacuee was Covid positive. It further said that all of them are placed under institutional quarantine at Chhawla camp in Delhi.
"There are no COVID-19 positive cases out of 78 persons (Who came from Afghanistan last night) who are presently under institutional quarantine at ITBP Quarantine Facility at Chhawla Camp, New Delhi," tweeted the ITBP.
India has stepped up efforts to evacuate its citizens as well as Afghan citizens fleeing their country because of the worsening security situation after the Taliban's stunning sweep to power last week.
A total of 626 people, including 228 Indian citizens, have been evacuated from Afghanistan till now, informed Minister Hardeep Puri. He also informed that 77 among them were Afghan Sikhs. The number of Indian citizens evacuated does not include those working in the Indian Embassy, Mr Puri added.
India had earlier announced that it would "facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan" and said Hindus and Sikhs from the country will be given priority.
New Delhi began the complex evacuation mission, named "Operation Devi Shakti", by airlifting 40 Indians from Kabul to Delhi on August 16, a day after the Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital city.
Thousands of Afghans have been crowding around the Kabul airport for over a week, in a desperate attempt to flee the country fearing the Taliban's brutality.