For the families of 46 Indian nurses, it was an emotional reunion.
46 Indian nurses who were stranded in war-torn Iraq returned to Kochi in Kerala on a special Air India plane today and had an emotional reunion with their families. Anxious relatives, clutching flower bouquets and hoisting "Welcome Home" banners, had been waiting for them at the airport since morning. The nurses were held captive by the Sunni insurgent group ISIS in Iraq. They were freed yesterday.
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The special aircraft carrying them and 137 others reached the Kochi International Airport at 11.57 am where Chief Minister Oommen Chandy received them. (See Pics)
As they emerged at the airport after getting off the flight, their family members thronged them. "I thank god for keeping my daughter safe. She had gone to Iraq to make our lives better," the mother of one nurse said. "For the last 25 days, we were praying for her safe return," said the mother of another as she joyfully welcomed her daughter. (Watch)
The nurses told reporters they had no complaints about their treatment by the rebels. "They did not misbehave with us," said one of them. "I want to thank everyone who helped us in getting out from there, including (Foreign Minister) Sushma Swaraj," added another. (Watch video)
Speaking to NDTV earlier this morning, Mr Chandy thanked Ms Swaraj, the Indian Embassy in Iraq and the Foreign Ministry for their efforts. "The Centre has acted in complete understanding of the deep anxieties of Kerala. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Iraq have made sincere efforts in securing release of the nurses," he said. (How India Secured its Nurses' Release in Iraq)
Besides the 46 nurses, the flight also brought back over 70 Indian workers from Kirkuk in northern Iraq. From Kochi, the plane headed to Hyderabad where 76 Indian workers disembarked. The plane, with the remaining 50 stranded Indians, then went to New Delhi.
Last night, the plane's arrival at the Erbil international airport got delayed and it had to be diverted to Iran reportedly because it was initially not granted permission to enter Iraq's airspace. According to sources, the delay happened due to "information deficit" or because of security concerns in the troubled region.
The plane was finally allowed to land at Erbil at 2 am. It took off for India nearly two hours later. (Air India Plane Leaves for Iraq to Bring Back Freed Indian Nurses)
The 46 nurses had been holed up for more than a week in Tikrit, which has seen fierce fighting this week as Iraqi troops battle to regain control of the city from the Sunni insurgent group ISIS. (We Are Like Prisoners, Say Stranded Kerala Nurses in Iraq to NDTV)
On Thursday, they were forced to board two buses and were taken to Mosul. They were reportedly kept at a hospital there. On Friday evening, the government confirmed that they had been freed. (46 Indian Nurses in Iraq Freed by Militants, Say Sources)
While the nurses have been brought back safely, 39 Indian construction workers kidnapped two weeks ago in Mosul remain in captivity. About 10,000 Indians work in Iraq. Scores of them have returned to India since fighting began.
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