46 Indian nurses held by millitants in Iraq returned home safely today to an emotional welcome with a special Air India flight carrying them from Erbil in Kurdistan landing at Kochi at noon. Kerela Chief Minister Ooman Chandy and a host of their relatives thronged the airport to receive them with hugs, tears and smile.

Later the special flight landed in Delhi this evening carrying 54 passengers on board who were evacuated from Iraq. On the way, it droped 80 more evacuated passengers at Hyderabad.

600 more Indian nationals will come back from Iraq in the next two days. Of them, 200 will return from Najaf to New Delhi tonight by an Iraqi Airways special flight. Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, Syed Akbaruddin said, the momentum of return of Indians from Iraq has gathered pace . He said that another 400 Indian nationals would be returning to various destinations in India, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad through commercial flights by Monday. Akbaruddin also said that in addition, the Indian Mission in Baghdad has been able to persuade Iraqi companies to send back about 600 other Indians. He said, the Mission is also separately processing papers of approximately 400 other persons who are in some major companies.