Kathmandu, Aug 24 (PTI) The Nepal government has evacuated an additional 149 of its nationals from Afghanistan, taking the total number of evacuees from the strife-torn nation to 654, the foreign ministry said here on Tuesday.

Nepal has been making efforts to bring back its citizens stuck in Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. Other 361 Nepalese nationals residing in Afghanistan have registered their names asking for their rescue, the ministry said.

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The rescued Nepalis boarded regular and chartered flights to arrive in Nepal. Arrangements have been made for the rescued Nepalis to go back to their homes after their COVID-19 tests and other health checkups at a holding centre in Kathmandu in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs, it said.

Nepal government has been continuously coordinating and facilitating with the Nepalese nationals who have reached Doha, Dubai, London and New Delhi after being rescued from Kabul in order to bring them back home to Nepal, the ministry said.

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The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.

The insurgents stormed across the country, capturing all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted away.

Thousands of Afghans are fleeing the country to escape the new Taliban regime and to seek asylum in different nations, including the US and many European nations.

The US and other Western powers are pressing on with the evacuation from Afghanistan of their nationals and some of their Afghan staff from Kabul airport.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)