External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday met with the families of the Indian nationals who have been captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in Iraq and assured them that the government is working non-stop to try and get its citizens back to the country.
"Today, I met the families of the Indians who have been captured in Iraq. I am well acquainted with their problem and as time passes, their worry is increasing. I told the bereaved families that in the 1984 hijacking of an aeroplane, my husband was among the hostages," Swaraj told the media.
"That plane was released after 48 hours, but the trauma I went through in that time is something that I still remember. I can't even imagine what these people must be going through since their sons are have been in captivity for five months," she added.
Swaraj also said that the captured individuals are still alive, though there is no proof of the same.
"I did tell the families that according to our sources, all those captured are alive and well, though we cannot provide proof for the same. I have had no direct contact with the captives but that does not mean we cannot reply on our sources," she said
Appreciating the fact that the families of the captives had not put untoward pressure on the government, Swaraj also said that the government is doing its best to get them back.
Also Read
"The Indian government is trying its best to bring our citizens back. I appreciate the fact that the families have recognized this effort by the government and are not putting any untoward pressure," Swaraj said.
Around 41 Indian citizens were captured by the ISIS in Mosul in June.