MEA confirms 4 Indians abducted in Libya
Out of the 4 abducted people 2 said to belong to Karnataka and 2 from Hyderabad
Four Indian teachers have been detained in Sirte, a stronghold town of the Islamic State in Libya, the Ministry of External Affairs said today. The town is about 500 kilometres from the capital city of Tripoli.
Of the 4 Indians ‘detained’, two are from Hyderabad, one from Raichur and one from Bengaluru, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup confirmed. On July 29 at 11 pm, while returning to India via Tripoli and Tunis, the four Indians were abducted from a checkpoint some 50 kilometres from the city of Sirte, Swarup told a press briefing. They have now been taken to Sirte, he added.
Three of the four Indians are faculty members at the Sirte University and the fourth person works at the university branch in Jufra.
The spokesperson added that the ministry is in regular touch with the families and will ensure all efforts to bring them back to India.
The Ministry of External Affairs, through its Head of Mission in Tripoli, is ascertaining the details regarding the incident. According to information available through our sources, all the four Indian nationals have been brought back to the city of Sirte, he said.
Official sources said no ransom demand has been made as yet.