BackAll options open to rescue Indians from Iraq: Rajnath Singh
The home minister didn't rule out a 'mass evacuation' of Indians stranded by the ongoing conflict in Iraq
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New Delhi: The Central government on Wednesday said it was looking into all options for the safe evacuation of Indians stranded in strife-torn Iraq.
“We are looking into all options. All suggestions are on the table," home minister Rajnath Singh told reporters in the capital, replying to a question on whether India is planning “mass evacuation" of the stranded Indians.
“We are trying our best for the safety of every Indian in Iraq," he said. India has evacuated 17 more of its nationals from the conflict zone with the help of local authorities, taking the total number of those rescued so far to 34, and also advised its citizens to leave on voluntary basis by commercial means in view of the “fragile" security situation.
A ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson had on Tuesday said that the government was also in constant touch with 46 nurses who were in a hospital in Tikrit, a conflict-affected city that fell to the Sunni militant group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).
The spokesperson also said the Indian embassy in Baghdad will shortly open camp offices in Najaf, Karbala and Basra for the convenience of Indian nationals in Iraq.
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