New Delhi, India (July 04, 2014): As per recent media reports Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today maintained that the 46 Indian nurses taken to Mosul “against their will” are free now. He further added that the government will “leave no stone unturned” to bring back Indians trapped in “extremely difficult circumstances” in strife-torn Iraq.
According to Indian Express (IE) an Air India sending Boeing 777 plane shall bring back nurses from Iraq.
According to Hindustan Times the MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said at his press conference in New Delhi:
• It has been day of dramatic developments. I can confirm to you that those nurses who were moved to Mosul yesterday (Thursday) are free
• This has been possible because there were enormous amount of efforts put in within and outside Iraq
• Air India aircraft has taken off from New Delhi to bring back nurses from Iraq
• The Indian nurses who were yesterday moved against their will are now free
• It’s time now for us to turn on each other and not against each other
• Please have faith that the govt is doing all it can to bring back Indians from Iraq
• We are engaged at the ground and at diplomatic levels. Our priority is the safe return of those in captivity
• 70 Indians from Kirkuk too will arrive tomorrow along with the 46 nurses
• A joint secretary level officer will accompany the nurses in plane. It will land in Kochi and proceed to Delhi if needed
• Resources used to free these nurses will be diverted to free other Indians. Circumstances are difficult
• Will leave no stone unturned to bring back Indians from war-torn Iraq
• We will not be satisfied until the culmination of this effort.