"MEA, through the head of mission in Tripoli, is ascertaining details," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Of the four, three are faculty members in the University of Sirte and one works at a university branch," he added.
Two of the four Indians detained in Libya by Islamic State (IS) terrorists have been released. "Four Indians abducted in Libya. I am happy we have been able to secure the release of Lakshmikant and Vijay Kumar. Trying for other two," Union minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Friday evening.
The four , who have been in Libya for more than a year and were working at the university in Sirte. were detained at a checkpoint about 50 km outside the town late on Wednesday while on their way back to India. Two of the men are from Hyderabad and two from Raichur and Bengaluru in Karnataka.
"MEA, through the head of mission in Tripoli, is ascertaining details," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Of the four, three are faculty members in the University of Sirte and one works at a university branch," he added.
The wife of one of the men still detained, Gopikrishna, said she had spoken to him last on Wednesday. "He said he was coming back via Tunisia. As he didn't have a visa, he took a permission letter," said Kalyani.
MEA officials said the area where the men were detained is controlled by IS terrorists. They have seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria. Officials said the government had, in July last year, issued an advisory asking its citizens to leave Libya. The fact that the Indians who have been kidnapped started working in the country a year ago suggested that they had ignored the warning, said officials. Already 39 Indian construction workers are missing in Iraq. They were taken hostage last year by the IS.
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