With the Taliban advancing on Mazar-e-Sharif, India Tuesday evacuated its diplomats and personnel from its consulate in the largest city of north Afghanistan.

The evacuation from Mazar-e-Sharif, the bustling city in the north which is situated close to the border with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, comes after Indian diplomats and staff left the Kandahar consulate last month.

The government also appealed to all Indian nationals living in and around Afghanistan’s Mazar-e-Sharif to leave for India as Taliban militants are preparing to launch an attack to capture Mazar-e-Sharif.

“A special flight is leaving from Mazar-e-Sharif to New Delhi. Any Indian nationals in and around Mazar-e-Sharif are requested to leave for India in the special flight scheduled to depart late today evening, the Indian Consulate General of India, Mazar-e-Sharif said in a Twitter post.

Indian companies operating in Afghanistan are strongly advised to immediately withdraw their Indian employees out of project sites in Afghanistan before air travel services get discontinued. Indian nationals working for Afghan or foreign companies in Afghanistan should immediately request their employer to facilitate their travel from project sites to India.

India had a month back pulled out around 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar as the security situation deteriorated and the Taliban gained control of new areas around the southern Afghan city.