Two from Nadia district taken hostage in Iraq, families claim

Krishnagar (WB), June 20: Two persons from Nadia district in

have been taken

in

, their family members on Friday claimed and demanded government help to secure their release.

Namita Sikdar of Tehatta claimed that her husband Khokhan Sikdar, who had gone to Iraq three years ago to work as a construction worker, had been abducted.

"On June 13 we received a phone call from Khokhan saying that they have been taken hostage by some group and kept confined in a place. Since then we have not been able to contact him over phone," Namita said.

Dipali Tikadar of Chapra area in the district claimed that her husband Samar Tikadar who had gone to Iraq some two years ago had been taken hostage by some people.

"Since Sunday we have not been able to contact Samar over phone," she said. Both the women today met Nadia District Magistrate P B Salim and asked the administration to help rescue their husbands from Iraq.

The District Magistrate said he had informed the higher authorities about the matter. Forty Indian construction workers were kidnapped from Mosul in Iraq a few days back by Sunni militants amidst an escalating civil war and kept in a secret hideout.

It is, however, not known if the two are among the 40 persons being held hostage by the militants.

PTI