ISIS terrorists behind kidnapping of 40 Indians in Iraq?

Around 40 Indians working on projects near Iraq's Mosul city were kidnapped by suspected ISIS terrorists when they were being evacuated from the war zone area on Tuesday
, according to media reports .
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said the reports of Indians being abducted could not be confirmed as of now. Indian envoy will head to Baghdad on Wednesday to take stock of the situation and to  get the authentic  information regarding the kidnapped Indians if any


Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government  will spare no effort  to ensure the safe return  of  Indian workers.National security advisor A K Doval is also coordinating for safety of Indians and for this the Indian Embassy in Baghdad has already set up a a 24- hour helpline to offer assistance to Indian nationals there.Over 10,000 Indians are estimated to be currently living in Iraq.

The phone numbers of the control room are +91 11 2301 2113 +91 11 2301 7905, +91 11 2301 4104 while its email address is controlroom@mea.gov.in.
The offensive, led by jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and also involving others, including supporters of former dictator Saddam Hussein, has overrun all of one province and major parts of three more since it began late on June 9.

As the insurgency rages in Iraq, prime minister Nouri al-Maliki has sacked senior army commanders who failed to stop the initial ISIS assault.

Indian nurses stranded in Tikrit
Around 46 nurses are stranded in Tikrit.Insurgent outfits have seized Tikrit and Mosul, theoil-rich region dominated by ethnic Kurds.

Immediately responding to the crisis,Modi government is in touch with the Iraqi authorities and  former ambassador to Iraq Suresh Reddy,who has been appointed as special envoy to ASEAN is expected  to  travel to Baghdad soon .

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was "monitoring and reviewing" the situation in Iraq and issued directions to hold a "crisis management meeting" to review all aspects of the assistance that can be provided to the Indian nationals there.
  
Secretary East in the Ministry of External Affairs Anil Wadhwa met the Iraqi Ambassador Ahmad Tahsin Ahmad Berwari and both of them discussed the possibilities of ground-levelcooperation in assisting Indian nationals in violence affected areas.
In response to a request by the Indian government, a team of International Red Crescent contacted the nurses in Tikrit and reported back to the Indian authorities that they were well.

"In accordance with her instructions, the Embassy of India in Baghdad is providing us updated reports on their contacts with the Indian nationals in the affected areas," the Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

He said government was monitoring the situation on an hourly basis. Official sources said the Indian Mission in Baghdad was in touch with the Iraqi government and the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) to ensure the safety of all Indians stranded in the violence-affected areas of that country.
The Spokesperson said Swaraj had asked Wadhwa, who is in-charge of the Gulf region, to hold a crisis management meeting.

Over 10,000 Indians are estimated to be currently living in Iraq and .Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had already written to Swaraj seeking urgent steps for safe evacuation of the Keralites.

The militants in the country had intensified their offensive and reached within 60 kilometres of Baghdad.