The Indian ambassador to Tunisia said on Sunday that the seven Indian nationals who were kidnapped in Libya have been released.
The seven Indian nationals who hail from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, were all abducted on the 14th of September from Asshwerif in Libya.
Confirmation of their release was made to ANI by Indian envoy to Tunisia, Puneet Roy Kundal.
The Indian mission in Tunisia looks after the welfare of all the Indian nationals in Libya as Libya is one of the few countries where India does not have an embassy.
India had on Thursday confirmed that seven of its nationals had been abducted in Libya last month, and that it was working on securing their freedom.
Spokesperson to the External Affairs Minister had confirmed the safety of the seven Indian nationals who were kidnapped in Libya and the Indian mission in Tunisia is in touch with the Libyan government for efforts to set them free.
In his weekly press conference, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said “Our Embassy in Tunisia, which handles matters relating to the welfare of Indian nationals in Libya, has reached out to the Libyan government authorities concerned, as also the international organisations present there, to seek their help in rescuing the Indian nationals. The employer has been contacted by the kidnappers and shown photographs as proof that the Indian nationals were safe and keeping well.”
Indian nationals had been issued an advisory in 2015, to avoid travelling to Libya in view of the ongoing security situation in the country.
As the security situation got even worse, the Indian government then placed a complete ban on all travels to Libya irrespective of the purpose. This was in May the following year. This travel ban still remains in place till date.
