Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met with Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh in Kabul on the fourth day of his visit to Afghanistan. Doval who reached Kabul on Tuesday this week had meetings with almost all prominent Afghan leaders amid intensified fightings in the country.

Saleh on Friday tweeted, “ Had a pleasant meeting with NSA Ajit Doval of India. We discussed the enemy. It was an in-depth discussion.”

Saleh, a former spy chief of Afghanistan, is a known hardliner among the Afghan political circles, and openly calls out Pakistan for backing the Taliban. His veiled reference - ‘the enemy’- in the tweet was seen to be directed at Pakistan.

Doval left for Kabul a day after India External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had a phone call with Afghan Foreign Minister Haif Atmer. Reports in the Indian media said Atmer had requested a “boost” in military assistance from India.  

During the visit, Doval met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, NSA Hamidullah Mohib, former president Hamid Karzai, and chief Afghan negotiator Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.

In the last 19 years, India expanded its presence in Afghanistan under the security umbrella provided by the US-NATO forces. The withdrawal of foreign forces coupled with intensified fighting is seen by New Delhi to threaten - and even undermine - that gain.