No direct contact with Indians trapped in Mosul: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday said that the government has had no direct contact with the 39 Indian nationals who were kidnapped from Iraq by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) militants, adding that every attempt is being made to monitor the situation.

"The situation in Mosul is in a flux. It is a situation where a group other than the government runs [the area]. Therefore, our ability to monitor [the situation] on a day-to-day basis is limited. We are trying our best, through various mechanisms, to try and get information," MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told the media.

"The information that we have is that at this stage, there has been no direct contact with the 39 Indians taken captive. We have had some information coming in from secondary sources, which we have shared with their relatives," he added.

Akbaruddin also said the lone Indian to have escaped captivity is currently in protective custody.

"Harjeet Masih is in protective custody. Once the authorities handling him are sure that there is no threat to him, the protective custody will be lifted," he said.

Around 41 Indian citizens were captured by the ISIS in Mosul in June.