India sends aircraft to retrieve bodies of Kabul victims

Feb 27, 2010, 8:54 GMT

New Delhi - India on Saturday sent a special aircraft to Afghanistan to bring the back the bodies of nine Indians, including two army officers, who were killed in suicide attacks in Kabul.

The Indian victims were among 17 killed in Taliban attacks on a guesthouse and a hotel in downtown Kabul on Friday.

A Boeing 737-200 aircraft took off from New Delhi to retrieve the bodies and injured people, IANS news agency quoted Indian Air Force officials as saying.

A team of medical officers and medicines was also sent on the aircraft.

Soldiers and officials from India's Ministry of External Affairs had already reached Kabul to review the security situation.

The Indians who died include two army officers, government officials, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police constable and a tabla player who was part of a three-member cultural delegation to Afghanistan.

Five other army officers were injured in the attack.

India is one of the leading donors for Afghanistan and has spent more than 1 billion US dollars in the country since the ouster of the Taliban regime in late 2001.

At least 4,000 Indians are currently in Afghanistan, carrying out reconstruction activities ranging from building roads, dams and power stations to training Afghan personnel.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai telephoned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and promised a full investigation into the terror attacks.

'President Hamid Karzai today called the prime minister to express his condolences on the loss of Indian lives and injuries sustained by many others in the terrorist attack in Kabul,' a statement from Singh's office said.

'President Karzai promised a full investigation into the attack. The prime minister conveyed India's outrage at the incident.'

Singh thanked Karzai for assistance given to Indian victims and asked him to ensure security for Indian nationals in Afghanistan, the statement added.