Iraq crisis: 46 Indian nurses freed by ISIS militants, to reach Kochi tomorrow
New Delhi/Kottayam: A group of 46 Indian nurses , who were forced to move out of Tikrit city in Iraq's conflict zone, are on their way to Erbil, a non-conflict area in the country where a team of Indian officials is waiting for them.
According to sources, the nurses would be reaching Erbil, the largest city of Kurdistan region of Iraq, shortly.
Meanwhile, an Air India plane has taken off from Delhi to evacuate the nurses from Iraq.
From Erbil, the nurses, most of whom are from Kerala, will take a flight to India, according to the sources. Further details on their movement are awaited.
The nurses were taken by ISIS Sunni militants on Thursday from a hospital basement in Tikrit to an undisclosed location.
There were about 10,000 Indians before the start of the serious strife between government troops and Sunni militants, backed by al Qaida. The militants have captured two key cities and are marching towards Baghdad. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced in the fighting that broke out on June 10.
Kerala government is sending a woman IAS officer in an aircraft, which is going from Delhi to Erbil and is expected to bring the nurses back.
State government sources said Indian officials in the Iraqi region have made arrangements for the safe stay of the nurses once they get their custody.
The nurses are likely to be brought to Kochi on Saturday morning, the sources said.
The Indian government estimates that around 120 of its nationals have been caught up in the unrest.
Meanwhile, according to family members of a nurse, the group of Keralite nurses moved in a vehicle by rebels from their hospital in Tikrit in Iraq are lodged in an old building near a hospital in Mosul and are safe.
Though they are lodged in a godown-like hall without power, their takers have treated them well, mother of one of the nurses said.
Read: Iraq crisis: ISIS militants shift all Indian nurses from Tikrit to another location
"My daughter called me around 10.45 last night and said the group had been accommodated in a hall in Mosul. It appears to be part of a hospital. She could not speak more since the charge of her mobile phone was low. She told me not to get panicky if she did not call home frequently as she was not sure if there would be a facility to get the phone charged," said Sobha, whose daughter is one of the nurses of the group.
(Photo: PTI Graphic)
Sobha and her husband Sasikumar, like parents of other nurses from different parts of the state, said they are praying for safe return of their children and pinned hope on the efforts being made by the Centre and the state for their evacuation without delay.
Read: Iraq Crisis: Indian embassy helpline flooded with rescue calls
But some of them complained that there was delay on the part of the Centre to intervene effectively in the matter.
They claimed that as soon as Tikrit came under the control of rebels a few days back, the nurses had informed Indian Embassy in Baghdad about their willingness to give up the job and return home.
Read: Iraq Crisis: Kerala nurses told to be silent, kin panic
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his senior colleagues are in Delhi and held a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj again to take stock of the situation.
Kerala CM Oommen Chandy meets EAM Sushma Swaraj pic.twitter.com/XhwsdSOmho
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2014Concern over the safe evacuation of the nurses had soared in the last couple days.
Read: Iraq Crisis: Returning home left them broke
Watch: Indian nurses in ISIS custody in Iraq; MEA says all are safe
