The Indian government is giving the highest priority to the welfare and security of its nationals abducted in Iraq, the ministry of external affairs said Thursday.
"Our embassy in Baghdad is persistently following the matter with Iraqi officials. The government is giving the highest priority to the matter and the welfare and security of Indian nationals in Iraq remain our primary concern," ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told media here.
He said a Crisis Management Group here held two meetings chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to discuss further strategy.
Forty Indian construction workers were abducted in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which Sunni militants have overrun in a deadly ongoing insurgency.
No demands for ransom have been made by the abductors and the workers' whereabouts, along with who was responsible for the abductions, are not known.
