Akela
IN a very shocking and sad incidents, the 40 Indians have been kidnapped in Iraq. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed about kidnapping of 40 Indians.
The abducted all Indians belong to Punjab in India. Besides the 40 people abducted, several nurses working in Iraq have also sought assistance from the Indian government.
The Indians were abducted when they were being evacuated from the war zone because of fear for their safety in view of the spiralling civil war. Mosul, the heart of the oil-rich region dominated by ethnic Kurds, was captured by ISIS raiders before being retaken by the ‘peshmargas’, the Kurd militia.
Speaking to media, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “40 Indians have been kidnapped in Iraq. Indians were in Mosul area. Despite repeated best efforts at this stage they remain uncontactable. Government has not received “any call of any nature from anyone indicating about ransom.”
According to a report there were more than 10,000 Indians in Iraq, of which 6,000 were in northern part, 3,000 in Baghdad and Basra while 1,000 were in uncertain and disturbed areas. The abducted Indians are workers of Tariq Alhud, a construction company.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is herself monitoring and reviewing the situation on a regular basis.