Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh will fly to Iraq on Sunday in a C-17 plane to bring back mortal remains of the 38 Indians, who were killed in the war-torn country.
While the minister was earlier expected to bring back bodies of 39 Indians, he won't get one man's remains as his case is pending. The 38 coffins will be handed over to the family members with evidence so that they have no doubts regarding the same.
"I am going to Mosul to get mortal remains of 38 Indians, we won't get one man's remains as his case is pending. We will handover coffins to the family members with evidence so that they have no doubts about it. My deepest condolences to the families of the deceased," Singh told ANI.
According to sources, the minister will bring back the bodies by late Monday or Tuesday.
"I am leaving for Iraq, will be getting back mortal remains of the 39 Indians. Tomorrow I will return to Amritsar, and then will go to Kolkata and then Patna. The families of the victims have been informed about the same," earlier ANI quoted Singh.
Families of some of these victims had met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier in March.
Also Read | 39 Indians abducted in Iraq killed, Sushma slams Congress for playing politics
On March 20, EAM External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament that as many as 39 Indians were abducted by terror group ISIS from Mosul in Iraq in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh.
The 39 persons, most of whom hailed from Punjab, were working on projects near Mosul and went missing back in 2014. They were taken to Badoosh and killed by the terror outfit Islamic State (IS).
(With inputs from agencies)
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