Air India flight expected to depart for Kabul post-noon

New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) National carrier Air India is expected to operate Delhi-Kabul-Delhi flight operations post-noon on Monday.Accordingly, the service is being continued to keep the air link between India and Afghanistan open despite the deteriorating security situation in the latter country.The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 8.30 a.m., but the airline is expected to operate it at 12.30 p.m. now.It is a crucial service to evacuate Indians from the capital of war-torn Afghanistan which saw Taliban cease power over much of the country.On Sunday evening, an Air India flight with 129 passengers from Kabul landed in Delhi.The AI 244 had taken off at 6.06 p.m. on Sunday from the Kabul airport, even as the Taliban reached the Afghan capital and were on the verge of taking power.The situation in Afghanistan worsened further on Sunday, as Kabul was reportedly taken over by the Taliban. Further, President Ashraf Ghani along with National Security Adviser Hamdullah Muhib and head of the administrative office of President Fazel Mahmood Fazli left Afghanistan for Tajikistan.Some lawmakers have also fled to Islamabad, including Speaker of Afghan Parliament, Mir Rahman Rahmani, Younus Qanuni, Muhammad Muhaqeq, Karim Khalili, Ahmad Wali Masoud, and Ahmad Zia Masoud, Afghan media reported.Head of High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah in a video clip said that Ghani left Afghanistan.
--IANS rv/sn/ksk/