Indian embassy secures release of 7 Indian nationals abducted in Libya

New Delhi: 7 Indian nationals, who were kidnapped in Libya last month, have been rescued, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday.

The Indian nationals were abducted from Asshwerif on September 14, when when they were on their way to the Tripoli airport to catch a flight to India.

“We are happy to inform (the country) that the seven Indian nationals who had been abducted at Asshwerif in Libya on 14 September were finally released yesterday (11 October),” the MEA said in a statement.

Indian Ambassador to Tunisia Puneet Roy Kundal spoke to released Indian nationals and sought their well-being. They were handed over by abductors to the oil company Al Shola Al Mudia, for which they used to work.

“All of them are in good health and are currently staying on the company’s premises in Brega. We are trying to complete the requisite formalities to enable their return to India,” the statement read.

7 Indians hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh went missing last month.

Indian embassy in Tunisia reached out to Libyan top authorities as well as international organizations, seeking their help in rescuing the abducted nationals.

Libya, an oil-rich nation in North Africa, has been witnessing wide-scale violence and unrest since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s four-decade regime in 2011.

The MEA further said that there is already a umbrella ban on travelling to Libya since May 2016, irrespective of the purpose, in view of the deteriorating security situation.