External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today informed that 39 Indians kidnapped by the Islamic State terror group in Iraq's Mosul in 2014 are dead.
Speaking on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, she said that the mortal remains will be brought back to India by MoS for External Affairs VK Singh.
According to information shared by her, the bodies were spotted using deep penetration radar and were exhumed from mass graves. Their identities were confirmed by DNA tests.
All the 39 Indian citizens were taken hostage when ISIS took control of Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq. The workers were trying to leave Mosul when they were taken hostage.
Also Read: Swaraj on deaths of 39 Indians in Iraq: 'Kept no one in dark, followed protocol by informing Parliament first'
Swaraj said that out of 39 citizens, 27 are from Punjab, 6 are from Bihar, 4 from Himachal Pradesh and 2 from West Bengal. She added that Raju Yadav of Bihar's identity is yet to be verified.
Here’s the list of 39 Indians killed by terror group ISIS in Iraq
