General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, the Afghan Army Chief postponed his visit to India due to the ongoing Taliban offensive in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Army Chief’s visit to India was originally scheduled several months ago. However, his visit would have coincided with Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State’s trip to New Delhi. He was now due to visit India during July 27-30. Ahmadzai was appointed last month as part of a shake-up of the higher echelons of Afghanistan’s security setup.
Ahmadzai was scheduled to hold talks with his Indian counterpart, General MM Naravane. He was also set to meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and other top security officials. He also planned to travel to Pune to meet Afghan cadets being trained at various institutions. The main purpose of his visit was to provide an opportunity for the two sides to hold consultations on the security situation in Afghanistan due to the Taliban offensive. This is against the backdrop of a campaign by the Taliban to capture territory and crucial border crossings with other countries.
The visit was postponed because of the “intensity of the war and Taliban’s increased assault and offensive” in Afghanistan, the Afghan embassy said without giving details. Intense fighting has been reported from various parts of Afghanistan as Afghan forces attempt to take back districts and key centres captured by the Taliban in a campaign that has coincided with the speedy drawdown of US and NATO forces.
The US recently conducted several airstrikes to slow down the advance of the Taliban.
India also plays a key role in training Afghan military personnel. More than 300 cadets are currently training in the country – and are also helping in the medical treatment of injured Afghan military personnel, with a number of them being treated in hospitals across the country.
Afghan Army Chief General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai’s visit to India postponed
— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2021
For India, the key security concern is the presence of more than 7,000 Pakistani terrorists in Afghanistan. These terrorists are from groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. These fighters are fighting alongside the Taliban in many areas.