All the 46 Indian nurses, who were stranded in Tikrit city of Iraq, have been moved out of the building they were staying in. Confirming the development, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, however, refused to reveal who have taken them and to which destination. Briefing media in New Delhi today, he said the nurses have been moved for their safety. Asked if they are hurt, he said two of them have suffered minor injuries caused by breaking of glass following a blast in the vicinity of the building. The rest are unharmed and safe. Akbaruddin said the Indian Mission in touch with nurses in Iraq.

The spokesperson said that 39 Indian nationals, who are in capitivity, are unharmed. He informed that about 900 nationals have been provided tickets to fly out of Iraq. He said nearly 1500 nationals in Karbala, Najaf and Basra have registered to depart the country. Some Indians in Erbil have also indicated their willingness to leave. Akbaruddin said Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi earlier today on the issue of the nurses. They discussed options to find a way out of the difficulty.