17 Indians Held Hostage In Libya Rescued And Brought To Delhi: Indian Embassy and External Affairs Ministry Lead Efforts

A group of 17 Indian individuals who had been taken hostage by an armed group in Libya have been liberated after spending several months in captivity. The Indian embassy in Tunis and the external affairs ministry played pivotal roles in securing their release and repatriating them to India. The captives, hailing mainly from Punjab and Haryana, were initially noticed as captive by their family members, who reached out to the Indian embassy in Tunis, responsible for Libya as well, on May 26 of this year. The exact timeframe of their capture by the armed group in Zwara city, Libya, subsequent to their trafficking from India, remains uncertain.

Through the involvement of Indian diplomats in Tunis and the external affairs ministry, the group of 17 men was evacuated from Libya and successfully brought back to New Delhi on the evening of August 20. The Indian embassy in Tunis remained in constant communication with the captives' families, consistently pursuing the matter with Libyan authorities during May and June. Parallel efforts were made through informal channels.

On June 13, the Libyan authorities managed to rescue the Indian nationals from their captors. Despite their rescue, the captives were held in Libyan custody due to their illegal entry into the country. Subsequent to the intervention of Indian ambassador NJ Gangte in Tunis and senior officials from the external affairs ministry in New Delhi, the Libyan authorities agreed to release the Indian men.

Throughout their time in Libya, the Indian embassy offered essential support to the captives, ensuring their provisions such as food, medicine, and clothing. Given the absence of passports, emergency certificates were issued to facilitate their return to India. The Indian embassy further facilitated their travel arrangements, covering the costs of their tickets.

This incident comes after a previous case in May, where nine Indian crew members from a merchant vessel were held captive by a Libyan militia for over three months. The sailors, part of the M.T. Maya 1 crew, had notified the Indian embassy in Tunisia on February 15 about their capture after the vessel encountered mechanical issues near the Libyan coast. They were eventually released on May 31.