Report: 39 of 40 abducted Indians in Iraq may have been killed

Baghdad, June 19: A day after the Ministry of External Affairs (

) confirmed that 40 construction workers from India, who were working in

were kidnapped, reports suggest that out of the 40 kidnapped workers, only one may have survived.

According to a report by The New Indian Express (read here), though there has been no confirmation, 39 of the 40 kidnapped constructions workers may have been murdered.

The report quotes a worker of the company where the Indians were employed, who said that after the fight broke in Iraq by the ISIL, the company returned the passports of Indian and Bangladeshi employees and asked them to leave on their own.

The workers however protested and demanded three months salary and flight ticket and were then taken to a hospital in Mosul where they were kept for two days, following which the Bangladeshis were seperated from the Indians.The hospital was a safe area where they were kept before they moved out.

MEA: Can't confirm killings unless from a credible source on ground

When the Bangladeshi group reached a camp in Ebril, they came across an Indian national called Harkit, who said that he was the lone survivor and all others had been killed.

The MEA on the other hand has not confirmed the death of 39 Indian workers. Instead the ministry said that it could only go forward with credible information given by International aid workers.

On Thursday Punjab CM even said that he was willing to pay any ransom to get back workers who belonged to the state. Meanwhile families of the Indians kidnapped in Mosul will meet MEA officials on Thursday.

OneIndia News