Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy said here on Thursday that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Iraq are trying their best to secure the release of stranded Indians at the earliest. “The Kerala nurses spoke to me as soon as they boarded bus. I have no idea where they are right now exactly, but according to our information they came out of their hostel and left the place,” said Chandy. Talking about his meeting with the External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj he said she is taking a keen interest in the security of all stranded Indians. Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Kerala Ramesh Chennithala, who was also present at the press conference addressed by Chandy, said the nurses are safe and the MEA is doing everything for their safety. He also said all diplomatic channels are open. Earlier today MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin had said that nurses in Tikrit have been moved to another location. MEA is in touch with interlocutors on the ground. They are safe and unharmed. The MEA also said that there are about 1500 Indians who have registered to leave Iraq, and around 900 of them have already been provided tickets to fly out of Iraq. (ANI)
