Union Civil Aviation Minister, P Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Sunday disclosed the efforts made by the Government on the rescue operations to bring back those stranded in Iraq.
“Government of India is naturally concerned as there is a strife torn situation there in Iraq. Those Indians who want to come back they have to be helped. Certain strategies have been put in place, civil aviation is part of it. How best to evacuate them, this is an important thing,” he said.
“Three Air India planes have been arranged for the purpose,” he added.
“We are interested in getting any Indian citizen who wants to come back to India and any person who doesn’t have the means to come back is being helped,” he further added.
According to the external affairs ministry, there are 100 Indians stranded in the conflict zone, along with 46 Indian nurses in Tikrit.
Overall, there are nearly 10,000 Indians in Iraq as per official figures. However, with many Indians being there without legal documents, the actual number runs much higher.
Iraq is witnessing serious strife with Sunni militants, backed by the Al Qaeda, marching towards the capital Baghdad. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced in the fighting that broke out on June 10. (ANI)