Four Indians detained in Islamic State stronghold in Libya

NEW DELHI Four Indian nationals have been detained in the Libyan coastal city of Sirte, an Indian government spokesman said on Friday, an area which is under the control of Islamic State militants. They were taken hostage last year at the height of the fighting between Sunni militants and government forces.

All the four abducted Indians were working as teachers in an University in Tripoli in Libya. We are in regular touch with their families and all efforts are being made to ensure their early release, Swarup added.

Indian media reported that the IS group may be holding the teachers.

No contact has been established as yet and there has been no ransom demand either a senior official in the foreign office informed.

The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that four Indians have been kidnapped in Libya.

Two of the kidnapped Indians are from Hyderabad and two are from Karnataka, Vikas Swarup said.

This is considered to be a strong hold of the ISIS and the Indian government had issued an advisory to all Indians to return. The nurses, who had been working in various hospitals in the country, safely returned to India in August.

In June 2014, 40 of its citizens – all construction workers, whose fate is still unknown- were kidnapped in the violence-hit Iraqi city of Mosul.