New Delhi: The primary external intelligence agency of India, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), had alerted the government of India, which includes the external affairs ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), at least five days ago of the impending danger for Indians residing in Mosul, Iraq.
Highly-placed sources revealed that the RAW had alerted the government that Indians staying in Mosul, among other communities, could be targetted by the Sunni militant outfit Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, after it took over Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, nearly 10 days ago. The government, however, swung into action only after 40 Indian construction workers were taken hostage by the outfit.
As for the 46 nurses trapped in Tikrit, which has also been taken over by ISIS, unconfirmed reports emanated that they would be working as the militant outfit has assured them safety and will pay them salaries and dues. The outfit had taken control of the Tikrit Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, where the nurses are working.
On Mosul developments, sources revealed that the top echelons of the government were aware of the RAW inputs. It has been learnt that at this juncture, the RAW is coordinating mainly with foreign intelligence agencies, including Mossad (Israel) and the National Intelligence Agency of Turkey, among others, to take stock of the situation in Mosul even as the Iraqi government requested the US for airstrikes to fight ISIS.
It was further learnt that an alert of the possibility of 40 Indians being abducted by ISIS was conveyed to the Indian government on Monday.
Whole world knew #ISIS was heading into Iraq, Indian Govt should have been more proactive-Rashid Alvi,Congress pic.twitter.com/0HLqMMjHpY
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 20, 2014
