Operation Devi Shakti

Operation Devi Shakti
Part of 2021 evacuation of Afghanistan and the 2021 Taliban offensive and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Operational scope	Humanitarian relief
Location	Afghanistan 34°33′57″N 069°12′47″E
Planned by	Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Armed Forces
Objective	Evacuation of Indian nationals, embassy staff and eligible Afghans
Date	16 August 2021 (2021-08-16) – 21 August 2021 (2021-08-21)[1]
Executed by	India
Outcome	800 evacuated
Location of Kabul airport in Afghanistan Show map of Afghanistan Operation Devi Shakti (South Asia) Show map of South Asia Operation Devi Shakti (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia Operation Devi Shakti (Asia) Show map of Asia

Operation Devi Shakti (transl. Operation Goddess Shakti) was an operation of the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Afghanistan after the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul, the capital city, to the Taliban.[2]

Background

Main article: 2021 Taliban offensive

Taliban militants during the 2021 offensive

The Taliban and allied militant groups began a widespread offensive on 1 May 2021, concurrent with the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan.[3] See more at Ministry of External Affairs official website

Kabul airlift

Further information: 2021 Kabul airlift

India evacuated over 800 people amid a deteriorating security situation in Kabul.[4]

• On 16 August, 40 Indians were airlifted from Kabul to Delhi.[4]
• 168 people, including 107 Indians and 23 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, were flown from Kabul to Hindan Air Force Station near Delhi in a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft of the Indian Air Force.[5]
• 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals were brought back in a special Air India flight from Dushanbe, a day after they were evacuated to the Tajikistan capital in an Indian Air Force C-130J transport aircraft.[5]
• On 21 August, 78 people, including 25 Indians and a number of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus from Dushanbe, a day after they were evacuated from Kabul to the Tajik city.[4][6][1]

See also

• Afghanistan–India relations
• 1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait
• Operation Ganga
• Operation Raahat
• Operation Allies Refuge
• Operation Pitting
• Operation Miracle (2021)
• Operation AEGIS

References

1. Saha, Poulomi. "Taliban want resumption of flights between India and Afghanistan, write to DGCA | Exclusive". India Today. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
2. "India's evacuation mission from Afghanistan named 'Operation Devi Shakti'". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
3. Lamothe, Dan; Hudson, John; Harris, Shane; Gearan, Anne (10 August 2021). "U.S. officials warn collapse of Afghan capital could come sooner than expected". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
4. ""Op Devi Shakti": Over 800 Evacuated By India From Afghanistan So Far". NDTV.com. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
5. "Evacuation from Afghanistan: India brings back 392 in three different flights". mint. 22 August 2021.
6. Goyal, Divya (21 August 2021). "Taliban stop 72 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus from boarding IAF plane". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 August 2021.