New Delhi: Top government sources claimed that the Turkey, Jordan and Syria which adjoin Iraq had agreed to allow rescue work from two locations in each country. A team of security and defence experts has already been dispatched to these countries to work out the logistics in advance.
Both the MEA and the office of the NSA have been working in tandem to ensure the safety of Indians in Iraq, including the 39 now being held hostage.
The MEA has already said that it was “knocking on every door” to get whatever help was possible for the safety of Indian nationals and asserted all national assets were in readiness should these be needed.
In an equally important development, sources said, Turkey, Jordan and Syria have also helped India establish contact with some of the “middlemen” who are believed to have access to top militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the group that is holding Indian workers captive in Mosul town. Recent reports confirmed that the Indian workers are safe and unharmed.
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“We have finalised the strategy to evacuate Indians both from the sea and land route. Two warships, INS Mysore and INS Tarkash, are being deployed in the region. In addition, Air Force aircraft like C-17 and C130 Super Hercules will be sent at short notice to one of the three neighbouring countries. Then, if need be, the warships can also be used,” a senior security official said.
Reports with Indian intelligence agencies suggest that the internal security situation in Iraq may worsen in the days to come, after which the government redoubled its efforts to prepare an elaborate rescue plan.
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The MEA has already sent blank passport booklets to its mission in Iraq to ensure that stranded Indians do not face problems due to incomplete travel documents. In addition, camp offices have been set up in Basra, Najaf and Karbala.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met Indian ambassadors in the Gulf region to discuss the Iraq crisis. Among the Gulf countries, the ambassadors of Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were present.
