Indian nurses freed, to reach Kochi tomorrow morning: Chandy

New Delhi, July 4: All 46 nurses who were held up in ISIS controlled areas in Iraq have been freed and will reach Kochi tomorrow morning by a special Air India flight from Erbil in northern Iraq, a relieved Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said today.

"Government of India, Indian Embassy in Baghdad and the state government all have worked together and finally we are achieving the great aim to bring back to the nurses to India," Chandy told reporters after his second meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

He said that the nurses have started their journey at 12.30 pm today from the place in ISIS-controlled area where they were kept and "according to our latest report they have reached the border near the international airport (at Erbil)". Chandy said the Central government has agreed to send a special aircraft to bring them to Kochi.

"We are very thankful to Government of India and Indian embassy for their active involvement in the mission," said the Chief Minister who was camping in Delhi for the last two days holding consultations with the Central government. He said nurses will reach Kochi tomorrow morning.

PTI