India concerned with increased violence in Afghanistan: MEA

New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): India on Friday expressed concerns over increased violence in Afghanistan and said that the government has issued a security advisory for its nationals in the war-torn country.

“We are concerned with increased violence in Afghanistan based on which we have issued a security advisory for Indians based there,” the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arnidam Bagchi.

Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan defence and security forces. This comes as foreign forces are withdrawing from the war-torn country.

As the Taliban have taken control of several districts across the country, US intelligence assessments have suggested the country’s civilian government could fall to the terror group within months of US forces withdrawing.

The top US general in Afghanistan, Austin Miller has warned that the worsening violence could lead to a civil war. US officials expect the entire withdrawal of their forces from the country will be completed in less than a week by the July 4 national holiday, New York Times reported.

As deadly clashes in Afghanistan continue to intensify, hundreds of more civilians have taken up arms against the Taliban in support of the government forces in several Afghan provinces.

Reminding Pakistan to act against terror networks, the Ministry of External Affairs called on Islamabad to take credible, verifiable and irreversible action against terrorist networks and proxies operating from its territory.

Arindam Bagchi said, “We call upon Pakistan to take credible, verifiable, and irreversible action against terrorist network and proxies operating from territory under its control and to bring the preparators of terrorist attacks including the 26th November Mumbai attack, and Pathankot attack to justice.”

On 26 November 2008, terrorists affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba carried a series of coordinated attacks on several locations across the city of Mumbai. The heinous attack lasted four days and a total of 164 people were killed. (ANI)