The Minister of External Affairs of India, S Jaishankar, said on Thursday that India has sent a technical team back to its embassy in Afghanistan and that their job is essentially to monitor the situation to see how New Delhi can support the Afghan people, Indian media reported. 

“We pulled back the India-based diplomats and staff after the Taliban (IEA) took control of Kabul because we had legitimate security concerns — a lot of other countries also did it. 

“With the passage of time, we have sent back a technical team to the embassy. They have been there for some time, their job is essentially in a sense to monitor the situation and see how we can support the Afghan people in their hour of need,” he told a press conference marking nine years of the Modi government, as quoted by The Times of India.

Ramiz Alakbarov Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Humanitarian) has ended his three year term in Afghanistan and thanked the aid community and humanitarian partners for their “unwavering support to the people of Afghanistan.”

Taking to Twitter, Alakbarov said the end of his term with UNAMA came with “mixed feelings” and that he leaves behind “three tumultuous years.”

“My farewell wish is to see a path carved out for Afghanistan where gender equality, social/economic opportunities and inclusivity lead to stability and prosperity for 40 million Afghans.”

He also said that with the “unwavering support” of humanitarian partners and aid organizations, “together, we were able to save lives and avert a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Ramiz Alakbarov was appointed in December 2020 as the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan with UNAMA, serving also as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. 

The interior ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said at least 11 people were killed in Thursday morning’s explosion in the Nabawi mosque in Faizabad city in Badakhshan province. 

“Enemies of Islam and the country caused an explosion in the Faizabad’s Nabawi mosque of Badakhshan Province around 11 o’clock this morning when many citizens were participating in the prayer ceremony of Martyr Nisar Ahmed Ahmadi,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said that based on preliminary information, 11 people were killed and more than 30 others were wounded in this incident.

“The exact details of which the incident will be shared later,” read the statement.

“The Ministry of Interior condemns this brutality of the disgraced enemies and with full commitment once again insists on the practical continuation of suppressing and destroying the evil perpetrators of such incidents,” read the statement. 

Sources say that Mawlavi Safiullah, the former police commander of Baghlan province, died in Thursday’s blast.

On the other hand, Moazuddin Ahmadi, head of information and culture of Badakhshan, confirms the death of the former commander of Baghlan, but did not confirm the death of the Economy Minister and called the news of his death false.

It is said that both of them were from Yaftal district of Badakhshan Province.