New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of External Affairs today said that it is in touch with the Libyan authorities for the release of seven Indians who were working at a construction company in Libya and were kidnapped on September 14.
“Seven Indian nationals, hailing from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, were kidnapped at a place called Asshwerif in Libya on 14 September. They were working at a construction and oil field supplies company and were kidnapped on their way to the Tripoli airport to catch a flight to India,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a statement here.
Srivastava said that the Indian Embassy in Tunisia, which handles matters relating to the welfare of Indian nationals in Libya, has reached out to the Libyan government authorities concerned, as also the international organisations present there, to seek their help in rescuing the Indian nationals.
He said that the employer has been contacted by the kidnappers and shown photographs as proof that the Indian nationals were safe and keeping well.
“The government is in touch with their family members and would like to assure them that we are making all possible efforts, in consultation and coordination with Libyan authorities and the employer, to trace our nationals and secure their release from captivity at the earliest,” Srivastava said.
Th MEA spokesman further stated that in September 2015, an advisory had been issued by the Government for Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Libya in view of the security situation there.
Later, in May 2016, the Government imposed a complete travel ban irrespective of the purpose in view of the much deteriorated security situation. This travel ban is still in force, he added.
-ARK
