PPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spent some time with ITBP commandos deployed in Afghanistan to secure the Indian High Commission and consulates at Kandahar, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Shareef and Heart. The PM lauded their courage and dedication by complimenting them with a ‘keep it up’ remark.
The armed contingent of paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force is deployed there to safeguard the diplomatic establishments and some projects undertaken by India since 2002.
“The Prime Minister replied to the greetings of the troops with a ‘keep it up’ remark when he visited the High Commission. A photograph of the contingent with the PM in the presence of Indian Ambassador Amar Sinha was also clicked,” said an official here.
The troops were donning camouflage combat uniform when they met Modi, who was in Afghanistan on way from Russia for a brief visit as he inaugurated the new Parliament complex of that country besides other official engagements.
The force has about 300 commandos (both men and women) stationed at these five locations keeping in view of the lurking threat from terror groups like Al Qaeda and Taliban to Indian assets and people working in the Mission.
Indian establishments in Afghanistan have witnessed at least two major attacks in the past, once at the High Commission there in 2008 which killed over 50 persons and diplomatic staff and a deadly attack on the Consulate in Herat last year.
However, the ITBP has repulsed many fidayeen attacks on Embassy of India in Kabul and Consulates Generals there.
In May 2014, the Indian consulate in Herat was attacked by four heavily-armed gunmen, who were subsequently eliminated in an encounter by the ITBP commandos. India had attributed the strike to terror elements “beyond the borders” of the war-torn country.
The attack on Herat consulate was attacked just three days before the swearing in of the NDA Government last year.
The Haqqani network is blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul.
The ITBP also secured the Jaranj road project in Afghanistan during 2004 - 2007 that was developed by Border Roads Organisation.