Operation Devi Shakti

Operation Devi Shakti
Name	Operation Devi Shakti
Partof	2021 Taliban offensive
Date	August 2021
Place	Kabul, Afghanistan
Result	Evacuation of Indian nationals and Afghan partners
Commanders and leaders	Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Ajit Doval
Participants	Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Ministry of External Affairs (India)

Operation Devi Shakti was an Indian evacuation mission conducted during the 2021 Taliban offensive in Afghanistan in August 2021 to extract Indian nationals and eligible Afghan civilians. The operation involved coordinated action by the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Rajnath Singh, and the Ministry of External Affairs (India), executing flights from Hamdullah Amin Airport and overland rescue through regional partners. It unfolded simultaneously with international evacuations by United States Department of Defense, United Kingdom, and Qatar amid the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, 1996–2001; 2021–present).

Background

By mid-2021 the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces (2001–2021) had accelerated following agreements such as the Doha Agreement (2020) negotiated with the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, 1996–2001; 2021–present). The fall of provincial capitals and the Fall of Kabul prompted parallel responses from states including United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, China, and Russia. India maintained diplomatic presence through its embassy in Kabul and consulates in Herat, Kandahar, and Mazar-i-Sharif until security deteriorated, while engaging instruments such as the Ministry of External Affairs (India), the National Security Advisor (India), and the Indian Council of World Affairs for contingency planning.

Evacuation Planning and Forces Involved

Planning involved coordination among the Ministry of External Affairs (India), the Indian Air Force, the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and intelligence inputs from the Research and Analysis Wing and the National Security Council Secretariat (India). Assets included strategic airlifters like the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, tactical transports such as the Ilyushin Il-76, and rotary-wing platforms like the HAL Dhruv and Mi-17. Diplomatic channels engaged foreign counterparts at embassies in Doha and Islamabad as well as military liaison with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization units operating in Kabul and regional commands including CENTCOM and USCENTCOM. Evacuation lists were compiled drawing on records from the Indian Embassy, Kabul, the Afghan National Directorate of Security, and international databases including Interpol and United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

Execution of the Operation

Operational execution began in late August 2021 using a combination of air sorties and overland movements to Hamid Karzai International Airport and cross-border transit through Torkham and Wakhan Corridor alternatives. Aircraft operations were timed to coordinate with Qatar Emiri Air Force airspace clearances and United States Central Command air traffic control over the Kabul Airport perimeter. Ground teams included officers from the Indian Army contingent and liaison officers attached to the Ministry of External Affairs (India) who worked alongside NGO actors such as International Committee of the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières to move evacuees to staging points. Evacuation flights landed at transit hubs including Doha, Muscat, and New Delhi before final processing by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (India) and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office where applicable.

Evacuees and Humanitarian Assistance

Evacuees comprised Indian citizens, holders of Indian passports including Diplomatic Service of India staff, students who had attended institutions such as Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia in India, and Afghans who had worked with Indian projects like the Salma Dam and the Afghan-India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam). Humanitarian assistance involved triage and medical support provided by Indian Council of Medical Research teams and psychological support from agencies like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and UNICEF. Special arrangements were made for vulnerable groups including women and children linked to organizations such as Women for Afghan Women and Human Rights Watch reporting on evacuation needs.

Political and Diplomatic Reactions

Domestic political leaders including Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and opposition figures in the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress publicly discussed the operation, while parliamentary committees such as the Standing Committee on Defence reviewed outcomes. Bilateral diplomacy engaged the Qatar Emiri Air Force, Pakistan Armed Forces, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Turkish Armed Forces for corridor access and overflight clearances, and multilateral forums including the United Nations Security Council and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation registered statements. Media outlets including All India Radio, Doordarshan, The Hindu, Times of India, and international broadcasters such as BBC News, Al Jazeera, and CNN covered developments extensively.

Aftermath and Assessment

Post-operation assessments were conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs (India), the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Army focusing on lessons for future crisis evacuations, coordination with partners such as United States Department of State and Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and improvements to consular evacuation protocols. Analyses by think tanks including the Observer Research Foundation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, and Brookings Institution examined strategic implications for India–Afghanistan relations, regional security architecture involving Pakistan–India relations and China–India relations, and humanitarian obligations under frameworks like the Geneva Conventions. The operation influenced subsequent policy discussions on diaspora protection, contingency planning by the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), and regional diplomatic engagement strategies.

Category:2021 in India Category:Evacuations