The government today said efforts are on but no contact has been established yet with 40 Indian nationals working for a construction company in Mosul in Iraq.

The External Affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said this while reacting to the media reports that 40 Indians have been kidnapped by ISIL militants near Mosul. Mr. Akbaruddin said despite best efforts, they couldn’t be contacted.

He said, there were no reports of any Indian being targeted or having suffered in any violent incident in Iraq. Mr Akbaruddin also clarified that the violence there is not targeted at Indian nationals.

The Spokesman further said, former envoy to Iraq Suresh Reddy is being sent to Bhagdad to to assist the embassy in its efforts. Mr. Reddy, a seasoned career diplomat has served as India’s Ambassador in Baghdad for over two years.

Meanwhile, the government has set up a round-the-clock control room to provide information to families of those Indians stranded in Iraq. The Ministry said the government is monitoring the situation on an hourly basis and is in touch with Iraqi government.

The phone numbers of the control room are +91 11 2301 2113 +91 11 2301 7905, +91 11 2301 4104 while its email address is controlroom@mea.gov.in.
The Indian Embassy in Baghdad has already set up a 24-hour helpline to offer assistance to Indian nationals there.

Around 86 Indian nationals are stranded in Mosul and Tikrit, the areas now in control of ISIL militants. These include 40 workers from a construction company in Mosul and 46 nurses from a Government hospital in Tikrit. There are around 20,000 Indian nationals in Iraq.

Red Crescent representatives met stranded Indian nurses at the Government hospital in Tikrit on Monday and found them safe and working.

India’s Ambassador to Iraq, Ajay Kumar told AIR from Baghdad that efforts are on to ensure that stranded Indian nationals return home safely.

Since most of the roads are controlled by the militia, the journey by road is unsafe. They would be evacuated once the situation improves. Earlier, the Iraqi Government assured that all possible measures will be taken to ensure the safety of stranded Indian nationals in Iraq.

The assurance was given by Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Nasar Khairullah who spoke to Indian Ambassador in Iraq, Ajay Kumar in Baghdad.