Violating promise, Taliban searched Indian consulates, drove away vehicles

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Despite the assurance from the top Taliban leadership that there won't be any attack on the foreign missions and diplomats, the Taliban militants entered the Indian consulates in Herat and Kandahar. According to the Hindustan Times, they searched almirahs, drawers and finally “<a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/haqqani-network-cadres-control-kabul-mullah-yaqoob-in-kandahar-101629347132112.html">took away parked vehicles</a>” from both the missions. The report says there is no news  of the Indian consulate in Jalalabad and the Indian Embassy in Kabul.</p>
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On Tuesday, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had assured the world that the security of foreign embassies is important to them and pledged to keep them completely safe,”"there is no danger from our side to embassies & diplomats. We won't target any embassy or diplomat. We've said that in our statements many times. It is our commitment.”</p>
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Earlier, spokesperson of the militant group, Suhail Shaheen appreciated India’s Humanitarian work in Afghanistan, which New Delhi could continue. "We appreciate everything that has been done for people of Afghanistan like dams, national & infrastructure projects & anything that's for Afghanistan's development, reconstruction & economic prosperity for people.” But despite these pledges, Taliban militants ransacked the Indian consulates.</p>
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After the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15, India evacuated all its diplomats and staff from the war torn country where chaos and uncertainty has been looming large. India has four consulates and an embassy in Afghanistan. Indian consulates were opened in Herat,Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad with the embassy in Kabul.</p>
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New Delhi closed its Jalalabad and Herat consulates on  April 2020 given the Covid-19 pandemic,  but did not reopen them following  US plans to withdraw from Afghanistan. India evacuated its staff from Kandahar last month and amid the escalation, evacuated its diplomats and other staff from Mazar-e-Sharif.</p>
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Last week, the Taliban captured Kandahar in the south and Herat in the west. The Taliban also took control of India’s showpiece infrastructure project Salma dam, also called India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam, in the Herat province.</p>
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