X

Parliament proceedings: 'All 39 Indians killed by ISIS in Iraq's Mosul, DNA samples of 38 have matched,' Sushma Swaraj

Speed News Desk 20 March 2018, 12:12 IST

Parliament proceedings: 'All 39 Indians killed by ISIS in Iraq's Mosul, DNA samples of 38 have matched,' Sushma Swaraj

 

The external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday during the Parliament proceedings said all the 39 Indians allegedly killed by Terrorist wing ISIS in Iraq's Mosul. In the Rajya Sabah session, Swaraj also said that the Indians were kidnapped by the ISIS. Among those 39 Indians, most of them were from Punjab.

The Union minister Swaraj said that the bodies of the deceased were exhumed and DNA samples were sent for forensic test. All the 39 Indians were kidnapped in 2014. Last year in the month of October, both Iraq and India argued that all of them were alive. The families of all the 39 Indians were made to undergo DNA test last year in 2017.

Earlier, Swaraj denied to declare them dead due to lack of evidence saying it would be an act of 'committing a sin.' "Declaring anyone dead without proof is a sin and I won't commit a sin," Swaraj had said in the Lok Sabha.

The Union Minister told Parliament that MoS EAM, General VK Singh, will go to Iraq to bring back mortal remains of all the Indians. “General VK Singh will go to Iraq to bring back mortal remains of Indians killed in Iraq.The plane carrying mortal remains will first go to Amritsar, then to Patna and then to Kolkata,” Swaraj said.

Proceeding further Swaraj stated that it was the government's responsibility to keep looking for the Indians, given that so far, "there are no bodies, no bloodstains, no list, no ISIS videos."

All the Indian 39 Indians labourers were taken hostage by ISIS in Iraq's Mosul in 2014. When the labourers were trying to leave Mosul they were obstructed and kidnapped by the ISIS.

Also read Mumbai Rail Roko Protest Update: Students call off agitation; Congress says it supports protest, Shiv Sena leader to meet Railway Minister

REALATED STORIES