Indians working at the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Kandahar have been evacuated because of intense fighting in nearby areas as the Taliban attempts to capture more territory following the withdrawal of US troops from war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Amid reports that India had shut down the CGI, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Sunday clarified that the office had not been closed.

“However, due to the intense fighting near Kandahar city, India-based personnel have been brought back for the time being. I want to emphasise that this is a purely temporary measure until the situation stabilises. The consulate continues to operate through our local staff members,” he added.

Bagchi said, arrangements were being made to ensure continued delivery of visa and consular services through the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Around 50 Indian officials and security personnel attached to the Kandahar CGI were evacuated on Saturday in an Indian Air Force special flight.

Officials said the situation in Afghanistan was being closely monitored, adding that the “safety and security of our personnel is paramount”.

As of now, the embassy in Kabul and the consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif are functional.

Last Thursday, Bagchi, while responding to questions on the situation in Afghanistan and India’s plans for its missions and installations in the face of the advancing threat of the Taliban, had said: “We are carefully monitoring the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and its implications on the safety and security of Indian nationals in Afghanistan. Our response will be calibrated accordingly.”

India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested nearly $3 billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country.

India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process that is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.