Search operations on for 39 missing Indians: Iraq Embassy

The issue is expected to gather momentum with the visit of Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who arrives in India on Monday on a five-day visit.

New Delhi, July 23: High level coordination between India and Iraq authorities is underway to trace the 39 Indians who went missing in the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014.

The Government of India has already sent two high-level senior delegations to Iraq to follow up on this matter.

The search operation is currently underway to locate the missing Indian nationals, the Iraqi Embassy confirmed on Sunday.

However, Iraqi Ambassador to India Fakhri H Al-Issa, said that no concrete information has been recovered so far about the missing Indians.

Government is trying its best to rescue Indian citizens. We have always said that till the time we don't get proof, no government can abandon its citizens said, MoS MEA VK Singh.

Opposition has demanded Centre to come clean about the matter and what concrete steps they have taken to free the 39 Indians.

"I don't want to say anything. I have no information. Sometimes no news is good news. They might be in Badush prison, he told ANI.

Sushma Swaraj, along with Minister of State (MoS) for Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) M.J. Akbar and MoS MEA Gen. (Retd.) V.K. Singh, met families of 39 Indians who are missing in Iraq since 2014 on July 16.

Recently, Sushma said that 39 Indians were at a prison at the Badush prison. However latest reports clearly suggest that the prison has been destroyed in the fighting between the Iraqi forces and the Islamic State.

The issue is expected to gather momentum with the visit of Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who arrives in India on Monday on a five-day visit.

OneIndia News