Air India plane to Kabul diverted back to New Delhi in wake of Taliban attack

An Air India plane to Kabul was on Saturday diverted back to Delhi after Afghanistan's main airport was closed because of possible dangers to aircraft in the wake of a Taliban attack on the country's Election Commission headquarters nearby.

The Air India plane was diverted along with other planes of other carriers as the Kabul airport was closed, an Air India official said.

If the situation normalises and the airport reopens, Air India plans to send a bigger plane accommodating today's passengers on tomorrow's flight, the official said.

Taliban insurgents attacked the Afghan Election Commission's heavily-fortified headquarters in Kabul today, ahead of voting in Afghanistan next month.

Authorities tried to reopen the runway of the Kabul airport after two hours but decided the risk was too high and closed it again.