Sushma Swaraj Meets Relatives of 39 Indians Kidnapped in Iraq

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met the relatives of 39 Indians held captive by Islamic State militants in Iraq for over 15 months and assured them that the government was continuing to make efforts to locate the men.

Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet: "EAM meets with families of 39 Indians held captive in Iraq. Assures them that our efforts continue to locate them."

Mrs Swaraj has met the relatives many times since June last year, when the men were kidnapped. She has assured them that the government was doing its utmost to locate the men, who hail mostly from Punjab and were employed as labourers in Mosul.

Besides the 39 men kidnapped in Iraq, three other Indians are being held in captivity by Islamic State militants in Sirte in Libya.

While two men were kidnapped in July, another man was kidnapped earlier this week.