On Wednesday, the Taliban entered at least two of India’s consulates in Afghanistan searched for documents and took away parked cars, NDTV quoting government sources reported.
The report further said that government sources have expressed worry that it meant the group is acting against the assurances its leaders have been giving to the world.
Members of the Taliban “ransacked” the Indian consulates in Kandahar and Herat, which are closed, according to the sources. They “searched closets” in Kandahar for papers and took away vehicles parked at both the consulates.
“We expected this. They ransacked the place searched documents and also took away our parked vehicles from both embassies,” a senior officer told NDTV.
Days before the raid, the Taliban had reached out to Delhi, saying that did not want India to evacuate diplomats from its Kabul embassy. Sources say the government had received messages from the group’s Qatar office assuring them of the safety of Indian staff and security personnel.
The messages – sent from the office of Abbas Stanikzai, the chief of the Taliban’s political unit – were routed via contacts in Kabul and Delhi.