4 years later, remains of 38 Indians kidnapped by IS return from Mosul

The aircraft with the remains of the 38 slain Indians, out of 39, landed at Amritsar from Baghdad around 2.30pm. The presumed remains of one of those killed were yet to be positively identified.

Nearly four years after 39 Indian workers went missing in Mosul city of Iraq, mortal remains of 38 reached the country on Monday as they have been identified with DNA test held recently.

Army jawans carry a casket containing remains of one of the Indians abducted by the Islamic State group in 2014, that were found in a mass grave outside Mosul in Amritsar on Monday.(PTI)

In coffins, the remains were brought back to India under supervision of Minister of State for External Affairs General (retd) VK Singh through a special aircraft which landed at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport here at around 2.30pm.

While mortal remains of seven youth belonging to Bihar and West Bangal were sent to the respective states by air, remains of 27 youths belonging to Punjab and four to Himachal Pardesh were sent through ambulances.

Pertinently, DNA reports were also handed over along with the mortal remains to the victims who were seeking proofs including the report of the youth.

Read: Indian workers killed in Mosul were illegal immigrants, says VK Singh

The Union Minister said, “These reports are properly certified by the Iraqi medical authorities who conducted the DNA test”.

Samples for this test were collected from the kin in October last year and on basis of the report of these tests, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament that 38 Indians kidnapped by the ISIS are dead.

The district administration deployed an officer each with an ambulance under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha to make sure that the remains reach the homes of the youth.

The officers completed the formalities concerning immigration and medical documents and then proceeded with the remains.

The administration extended every kind of help to the parents and other family members of the youth who had come to collect the remains of their dear ones.

Kin of 31 victim youth reached the airport on morning to receive the mortal remains.

The administration made unprecedented arrangements to facilitate the victim families at cargo terminal of the airport, where the remains landed.

On landing the airport, the Union Minister of State told that Martyrs Foundation, a

governmental institution of the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and international Red Cross helped them a lot in identifying the mortal remains with DNA test held in forensic labs in Iraq.

He thanked all these agencies for supporting them in searching and identifying the deceased.