The Karnataka government nominated senior IPS officer Umesh Kumar, Additional Director General of Police-CID, as the nodal officer to cooperate with the Centre to bring back Karnataka citizens in Afghanistan.

Stating that the officer will be coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding residents of Karnataka in Afghanistan, an official statement from the government said that a control room has been established.

In light of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan after its seizure by the Taliban, India brought back Indian Ambassadors and employees at the Embassy in Kabul on August 17 in a heavy-lift military transport aircraft.

Earlier in the day, state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra stated that Karnataka has 339 Afghans. Out of the 339 Afghan nationals, 192 are students, and the Basavaraj Bommai administration will discuss renewing their visas with the Union government and providing them with "protection".

"Our government will support all of them. Regarding visa extensions, this is a subject for the union government, but our government will provide full assistance for the same," he said.

The Mysore University has also extended a helping hand to the students from Afghanistan and said that they will act as caretakers until things settle down in their country. Vice-Chancellor G Hemanth Kumar has assured the students that he will request the government to extend their visas.

(With inputs from agencies)