Abduction of Indians in Iraq: They were separated and taken to new location

NEW DELHI: The 40 Indians abducted in Iraq were in the custody of ISIS since June 8, the day Mosul was captured , but they were separated from most of their co-workers from other nations, including Bangladesh, and taken to a separate location around June 15. The abduction came to light of the Indian embassy in Baghdad around June 15. Hasan, a Bangladeshi national , who was taken by ISIS along with the Indians on June 8, told ET from Iraq that a big group was in custody of jihadists from June 8 but a group — comprising mostly 40 Indians — was separated from the rest on June 14 or 15 and taken to an unknown location.

It was Hasan who intimated family of the worker from West Bengal that the abducted worker may have been killed. But external affairs spokesman Akbaruddin claimed on Monday that all 39 Indians were safe but cautioned that none can be safe in custody. “I was in touch with some of my Indian friends for several hours after ISIS separated them from us,” Bangladeshi national Hasan told ET from a check-post controlled by Iraqi government forces between Mosul and Erbil (Kurdistan Autonomous Region).

Hasan, like the abducted Indians, was also an employee of the construction firm Tariq Nur Al Huda Company of Iraq, were part of a project building a stadium in Mosul. He said that the managers and supervisors of the company fled when the ISIS were close to capturing Mosul. “The managers had been assuring us that nothing would happen and ISIS would be defeated by the Iraqi government forces. But they suddenly left without even clearing our dues, without even bothering to arrange for our daily meals, let alone safe passage from Mosul, although they had promised otherwise earlier ,” said Hasan.

Hasan was with Indians and other nationals in the workers’ camp when ISIS came in. “They told us that since the managers of the company had left, they would provide us food and ensure our safety. They took all of us to a cotton factory and looked after us well for almost a week,” Hasan said. ISIS also promised Hasan and other foreign workers that they would escort them to the border of Kurdistan and forces loyal to the gover nment in Baghdad. They were also promised that arrangements would be made so that they could safely reach Erbil, unaffected by the conflict.

The jihadists escorted Hasan and rest of the non-Indian workers to a place near a camp of the Iraqi Army and released all of them. Since then, Hasan has been under protection of the Iraqi Army. The Iraq Army is providing him and others with food but he could not yet reach Erbil. The MEA spokesperson told newsmen in Delhi that New Delhi was in constant touch with companies Indians are working for.

“We remain engaged with a variety of companies — 12 by my record. We would continue to assist everyone who would want to return,” the MEA spokesperson assured. The MEA said that the government had been able to successfully evacuate 17 of the 120 Indians stranded in the “conflict zone.”