The Afghan embassy in India formally closed on Sunday, more than two years after the Taliban seized power in Kabul after the overthrow of the Western-backed government.
The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan is not recognized by the majority of other countries, including India, putting numerous Afghan embassies and consulates across the world in a state of ambiguity.
Taliban representatives were not allowed access to diplomatic properties or premises because of diplomats nominated by the previous administration.
“The Afghan Embassy in New Delhi announced its intention to stop operating with profound sadness, regret, and disappointment," according to a statement posted on the social networking site X.
India will take control of the embassy in a caretaker capacity, it said.
“A lack of timely and sufficient support from visa renewal for diplomats," as well as staff and resource reductions, were cited in the unsigned statement as reasons why sustaining operations had grown "increasingly challenging."
Rumors that the ambassador and other senior officials had recently departed India as a consequence of quarreling among those who remained in New Delhi led to the closure decision.
In contrast, the embassy said in its statement that it "categorically refutes any baseless claims regarding internal strife" among its staff and denied any diplomats were "using the crisis to seek asylum in a third country."
Due to Taliban bombings, New Delhi withdrew its entire mission from Kabul in August 2021, but a small team returned the next year to reestablish the embassy.
However, a few embassies, like Pakistan, China, and Russia, still maintain ambassadors in Kabul. Most other countries evacuated their diplomatic personnel during this period and have not since sent any back.