India still looking for 39 nationals kidnapped by ISIS in Mosul
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Now that ISIS rule in Mosul has ended, Indian authorities are hoping to find news of 39 Indian workers who were captured by the terrorist group in June 2014.
“Over the past three years and through different channels, the Indian government has tried several times to rescue these workers,” said Dr. Ahmed Jalal, a former Iraqi Foreign Ministry diplomat.
The Indian government “was even ready to give millions of dollars to rescue them, but efforts did not work,” he went on.
When ISIS captured Mosul on June 10, 2014, a number of foreigners were trapped in the city, including 39 Indian workers, 49 Turkish consulate employees, and 40 Turkish drivers. The Turkish nationals were quickly rescued.
“According to information with the Indian government, the hostages were safe until the fight near Badush prison,” Jalal noted. “After Badush was controlled, they were relocated to another place.”
As part of the Mosul operation, Iraqi security forces took control of Badush prison in early March. The prison is where ISIS had “massacred” hundreds of inmates of the prison when they seized control in the summer of 2014.
Rudaw has learned that, after the Mosul battle was launched in October 2016, two top Indian officials came to the Kurdistan Region in pursuit of their citizens.
The first visit was paid by deputy prime minister of India two months ago and the second by Vijay Kumar Singh, state minister for foreign affairs. Both met with Kurdish top officials, followed by secret visits to Mosul Dam near Badush.
Jalal, who was among those visiting the Mosul Dam, said “the India state minister for foreign affairs initially met with the Kurdistan Region Security Council advisor and some other Kurdistan Region officials talking about the fate of the hostages. They later secretly went to Wanke town near Badush, meeting with Peshmerga intelligence officials to talk about the latest information regarding the fate of the hostages.”
Badush is considered one of the largest prisons in Iraq. Before it fell to ISIS, it had held tens of radical Islamic militants. ISIS stormed the prison and freed 300 militants prior to attacking Mosul.
A source, who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, revealed that before the prison was reclaimed by Iraqi forces, ISIS killed 600 people at the prison, but not the Indian workers.
“There is still information that the hostages are safe,” he claimed.
He also said an Indian intelligence delegation will visit the Region next week and later Mosul and Badush as part of their continued efforts to find their missing nationals.
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari is currently in New Delhi where he told reporters his government has no information about the 39 missing Indian nationals.
“We don’t know whether they are dead or alive. We are equally concerned. There is no substantial evidence whether they are alive or not. We are making the best efforts,” he said.
“Over the past three years and through different channels, the Indian government has tried several times to rescue these workers,” said Dr. Ahmed Jalal, a former Iraqi Foreign Ministry diplomat.
The Indian government “was even ready to give millions of dollars to rescue them, but efforts did not work,” he went on.
When ISIS captured Mosul on June 10, 2014, a number of foreigners were trapped in the city, including 39 Indian workers, 49 Turkish consulate employees, and 40 Turkish drivers. The Turkish nationals were quickly rescued.
“According to information with the Indian government, the hostages were safe until the fight near Badush prison,” Jalal noted. “After Badush was controlled, they were relocated to another place.”
As part of the Mosul operation, Iraqi security forces took control of Badush prison in early March. The prison is where ISIS had “massacred” hundreds of inmates of the prison when they seized control in the summer of 2014.
Rudaw has learned that, after the Mosul battle was launched in October 2016, two top Indian officials came to the Kurdistan Region in pursuit of their citizens.
The first visit was paid by deputy prime minister of India two months ago and the second by Vijay Kumar Singh, state minister for foreign affairs. Both met with Kurdish top officials, followed by secret visits to Mosul Dam near Badush.
Jalal, who was among those visiting the Mosul Dam, said “the India state minister for foreign affairs initially met with the Kurdistan Region Security Council advisor and some other Kurdistan Region officials talking about the fate of the hostages. They later secretly went to Wanke town near Badush, meeting with Peshmerga intelligence officials to talk about the latest information regarding the fate of the hostages.”
Badush is considered one of the largest prisons in Iraq. Before it fell to ISIS, it had held tens of radical Islamic militants. ISIS stormed the prison and freed 300 militants prior to attacking Mosul.
A source, who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, revealed that before the prison was reclaimed by Iraqi forces, ISIS killed 600 people at the prison, but not the Indian workers.
“There is still information that the hostages are safe,” he claimed.
He also said an Indian intelligence delegation will visit the Region next week and later Mosul and Badush as part of their continued efforts to find their missing nationals.
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari is currently in New Delhi where he told reporters his government has no information about the 39 missing Indian nationals.
“We don’t know whether they are dead or alive. We are equally concerned. There is no substantial evidence whether they are alive or not. We are making the best efforts,” he said.