Sushma on abducted Indians |
India`s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will hold talks with her Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari on July 24, with focus expected to be on the issue of 39 Indians abducted by the Islamic State three years back from Mosul.Al-Jaafari`s visit from July 24 to July 28 to India comes two weeks after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced liberation of Mosul, the second biggest city in his country, from the IS, which marked a major milestone for the Iraqi security forces. In their talks, the two sides will to take stock of bilateral relations and explore ways to enhance cooperation in areas of energy and trade. Iraq has been one of the major suppliers of crude oil to India. As liberation of Mosul brightened chances of information about the kidnapped Indians, Swaraj had said that they might be languishing in a jail in Badush in northwest of Mosul where fighting was going on.However, a report published in Hindustan Times from Badush on Saturday said the jail now is an abandoned structure and has been unoccupied for weeks. Al-Jafaari will travel to Mumbai on July 26 and will be back in Delhi on July 27.
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