Efforts on to secure release of abducted Indians in Iraq: Government

NEW DELHI: India today said it was in constant touch with International Red Crescent in Iraq, countries of the region and all other concerned who can offer help in securing release of 39 Indian construction workers who were kidnapped from Mosul, the second largest Iraqi city seized by Sunni militants.

Sources said government continued to be in active engagement and was doing everything possible to ensure release of the Indians.

40 Indians were abducted from Mosul and one of them had fled from captivity and had shared various details about the captors to the Indian authorities which yesterday indicated that they had come to know about the abductors.

Government has already sought help from a number of countries in the region besides Iraqi authorities, the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and various other humanitarian agencies working in the trouble-torn country to resolve the crisis.

Iraq is witnessing serious strife with Sunni militants, backed by al Qaeda, capturing two key cities and marching towards Baghdad.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced in the fighting that broke out on June 10.

The sources said government was also in constant touch with the 46 nurses who are stranded in a hospital in Tikrit, another violence-affected city which also fell to the Sunni militant group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).

It has already taken over several parts of Iraq and was advancing towards Baghdad.

The nurses are in a hospital and food was being provided to them.

A total of 120 Indians were in violence-hit areas in the oil-rich Gulf nation out of which 16 have already been evacuated and one of those kidnapped has fled from captivity.

Now 103 Indians remained in the conflict zone including 46 nurses and 39 Indians in captivity.

The sources said securing release of the kidnapped Indians and moving remaining others from the conflict zone was government's top priority.