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 nurses are in touch with Indian Mission in Iraq.

The spokesperson said that Indian nationals, who are in capitivity, are unharmed. He informed that about 900 nationals have been provided tickets to fly out of Iraq. Some nationals in Erbil have also indicated their willingness to leave the strife-torn country.

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.