Taliban Speed In Afghan Capture Surprised Us, Says General Bipin Rawat

Gen Rawat said New Delhi was concerned about the possibility of terrorist activities from Afghanistan impacting India and contingency plans were put into place to deal with such a challenge.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Wednesday asserted that any possible terrorist activity flowing out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and finding its way into India will be firmly dealt with, and suggested that the Quad nations should boost cooperation in the global war on terrorism. Gen Rawat said India was anticipating a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan but the timelines of the latest developments have surprised it, noting that the outfit has not changed over the past 20 years He, along with Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John Aquilino, was speaking at an interactive session organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). In his remarks, Admiral Aquilino referred to challenges that India has been facing, specifically with regard to "sovereignty on the Line of Actual Control" as well as the "foundational security concerns" in the South China Sea region, in a clear reference to China's aggressive behaviour.