India opens doors for Afghan Hindus, Sikhs

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India will help members of Afghanistan's tiny Sikh and Hindu community to come to India, the foreign ministry said on Monday.</p>
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"We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan," foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.</p>
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India invested millions of dollars in development projects in Afghanistan and Bagchi said the government stood by the Afghans who had partnered it in that task.</p>
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"There are also a number of Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavours. We will stand by them," Mr Bagchi added.</p>
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Commercial flight operations from the Kabul airport have been suspended. "This has forced a pause in our repatriation efforts. We are awaiting the resumption of flights to restart the process," Mr Bagchi told reporters.</p>
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Meanwhile the Kabul airport reopened early on Tuesday Afghanistan time after being closed for hours by US forces following a breakdown in security on the tarmac that interrupted evacuation operations, a top US general said.</p>
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Two armed Afghan men were killed by US forces on Monday as thousands came on to the runway and made a mad rush to board flights.</p>