Sushma Swaraj tweeted her appreciation for the officers involved in facilitating the release.
Highlights
- Foreign Minister tweets about release of 4 Indians
- The men were illegal immigrants travelling without valid papers
- They crossed over from Jordan into Syria on their way to Lebanon
The government has managed to secure the release of four Indian nationals from Syria, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Sunday morning. They were arrested by the Syrian government in January which had thought they were on their way to joining ISIS.
"Welcome home Arun Kumar Saini, Sarvjit Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Joga Singh," Ms Swaraj said in one of her four tweets this morning. "I had requested Deputy Prime Minister of Syria for their release during his visit to India in January this year. Thank you Syria," she said in another.
The four were arrested by the Syrian government in Damascus after they crossed over from Jordan into Syria. They were suspected by the Syrian government of being ISIS sympathisers.
It later transpired they were illegal immigrants travelling without valid papers. In February, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh told Parliament, "Arun Kumar Saini, Sarvjeet Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Joga/Jagga Singh entered into Syria from Jordan on their way to Lebanon for employment without valid visa. They were caught by the Syrian authorities as illegal immigrants," he said.
Walid al-Moualem, Deputy Prime Minister and the senior most Syrian government representative to visit India since civil war began in his country in 2011, had met Ms Swaraj on January 13 as part of his three-day visit to New Delhi.
At that time Mr Al-Moualem had said the four were going to join ISIS. "Four Indians were taken into Syrian custody in Damascus. The four young Indians were planning to join the ISIS and had entered Syria from Jordan," Mr Moaulem had told reporters in New Delhi.
Ms Swaraj also tweeted her appreciation for the officers involved in facilitating the release.