New Delhi: After reaching Kochi, the aircraft that flew nurses from Iraq may fly to New Delhi immediately thereafter.
“I can confirm the Indian nurses moved out against their will (from Tikrit to Mosul) are free. They are in touch with Indian embassy officials at Erbil,” MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said in New Delhi.
“The release of the nurses didn’t happen just like that. There were enormous efforts undertaken both in and out of Iraq. India has friends both in and out of Iraq. We knocked on many doors, one door opened,” he said. It is not clear if any ransom was paid to secure their release. However, the MEA spokesman declined to go into details, he said there were still some Indians in captivity and the process of freeing them was “under way”.
“Conventional diplomatic tools don’t exist in conflict areas,” he added, making clear that he wouldn’t get into the “how, when, where, what” on the nurses’ release at this stage.
He said Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had been conducting meetings throughout Friday and “leading the diplomatic effort” ever since the crisis started.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, was “hands on all the time”. The government’s good use of its extensive contacts in West Asia, including the Gulf countries, played a major role.
“We have succeeded in extricating 46 nationals from the zone of conflict. The success will make us redouble our efforts for those still in captivity,” MEA spokesman said referring to another group of 39 Indians in captivity.
The ordeal of the nurses, who were working at a hospital in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, began when a swift Isis offensive was launched on June 9.
The nurses were moved out on Thursday against their will and held in the militant-held city of Mosul, 250 km from Tikrit. Erbil international airport is 80 km from Mosul. “The nurses are safe, unharmed,” the MEA spokesman said.
