NEW DELHI: India has ruled out sending its troops to Afghanistan but will continue to provide assistance in other fields, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Tuesday.

Her remarks were significant because they were made in the presence of visiting US Secretary of Defence James Mattis. Neither the United States nor Afghanistan is believed to be pressing India to send troops to Kabul. Both sides are believed to be aware of the logistical challenge that transporting of troops and military hardware to the landlocked country would pose.

However, the issue surged in importance following a media comment by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in New York last week when he said India had a zero political or military role in Afghanistan.

“There shall not be any boots on the ground from India,” Ms Sitharaman said in response to questions at a joint press conference with Mr Mattis.

She said India would, however, continue its development and medical assistance to Afghanistan.

There has been unsubstantiated enthusiasm in the Indian media about India deploying troops in Afghanistan after US President Donald Trump called for greater Indian involvement in the war-torn country.

The Hindu said after delegation-level discussions between the two sides, India and the US also resolved to eradicate safe havens for terrorists across the globe.

“There can be no tolerance of terrorist safe havens. As global leaders, India and the US resolve to work together to eradicate this scourge,” Mr Mattis said in a statement.

With increasing Chinese presence in the region, both sides discussed boosting their expanding maritime cooperation.

Mr Mattis landed in India on Monday for his maiden three-day visit, the first by a cabinet member of the Trump administration.

The Hindu said India already extended a $3-billion aid to Afgh­anistan and also “provides training to its military and other assistance”.

Agencies add: Mattis’ trip to India is the first by any member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet. It comes just after Trump unveiled a new Afghanistan strategy and urged New Delhi to help.

“We applaud India’s invaluable contributions to Afghanistan and welcome further efforts to promote Afghanistan’s democracy, stability and security,” Mattis said.

India has long vied with arch-rival Pakistan for influence in Afghanistan, building dams, roads and a new parliament in the troubled country. Last year it offered some $1 billion in aid.

It has also trained more than 4,000 Afghan National Army officers and provided helicopters to the Afghan Air Force.

“There can be no tolerance of terrorist safe havens,” Mattis said, without referencing Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2017