We’re not 100% sure missing Indians are alive: Iraqi foreign minister

New Delhi, July 24

Iraqi government was not sure if the 39 Indians who were trapped in Mosul when the Islamic State besieged the city were alive, its foreign minister said on Monday

Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said to the press after he met Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj: “We're not sure a hundred per cent sure if they're alive or not. We don't know, but we’ll do our best”.

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The Opposition however accused the central government of making no effort to bring them back.

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Congress leader NA Harris claimed the Indian government needed to get their “priorities right”.

“It's been pending for more than six months and I don't understand what our government is doing, because the innocent people who are under ISIS, their families will be in difficult situation (sic). The efforts from our country are zero. The Prime Minister also went to Middle East and what is the net result? If the Indians are in problem and if the Indian government will not help them then who will help them?” he asked, using another name for the Islamic State.

The Indians were previously believed trapped in Mosul, but the Iraqi government later told India that it believed that the missing Indians were being held captive in Badush, where the Islamist militants were battling Iraqi forces.

Most of the missing are from Punjab. 

Iraqi forces retook Mosul from the Islamic State earlier this month after an eight-month campaign against the militants. 

The Indians have been untraceable since the Islamic State captured the city and established a so-called caliphate in 2014.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari is on an official visit to India. — Agencies