Narendra Modi government monitoring Iraq situation as concern mounts for Indians

Amid mounting concerns over safety of Indians stranded in Iraq, India on Tuesday explored the possibility of ground-level cooperation with Iraqi authorities to assist its citizens in violence-hit areas in the Gulf nation and set up a control room here to provide information to their families.

Following a direction from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, a "crisis management meeting" reviewed all aspects of the assistance that can be provided to the Indian nationals stuck in the country.

Around 46 nurses are stranded in Tikrit, besides nearly 40 other Indians in Mosul. Insurgent outfits have seized the two cities.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Swaraj was herself "monitoring and reviewing" the situation on a regular basis.

Earlier, Secretary (East) Anil Wadhwa met Iraqi Ambassador Ahmad Tahsin Ahmad Berwari and both of them discussed the possibilities of ground-level cooperation in assisting Indian nationals in violence affected areas.

Asked whether the government was considering evacuating the nurses from Tikrit, sources said the roads in Tikrit and Mosul are not suitable for any movement at present.

Akbaruddin said the Indian Embassy in Baghdad was sending updated reports to the government on their contacts with the Indian nationals in the affected areas. He said government was monitoring the situation on an hourly basis.

Official sources said the Indian Mission in Baghdad was in touch with the Iraqi government and the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) to ensure the safety of all Indians stranded in the violence-affected areas of that country.

The decision to set up a round-the-clock control room at the External Affairs Ministry to provide information to all concerned was taken at the crisis management meeting.