External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sep 18 said all the 39 Indians held hostage in Iraq by Islamic State militants for more than a year are alive. The External Affairs Minister conveyed this to the families of the captives who met her in New Delhi on Sep 18. Mrs. Swaraj reassured them about the well-being of the nationals on the basis of information received from multiple sources. She said, the government is making all efforts for the safe and early release of the Indian workers. The families of the victims were accompanied by Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Mrs. Swaraj had earlier personally spoken to her counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as other friendly countries in the region for their assistance in the safe release of Indians in captivity. The Minister also assured the families that as soon as some concrete proof on the well-being of the workers is received by the government, it would be shared with them.
