Cases of Nepali workers being caught up in the sectarian violence in Iraq have started coming to the fore. The government has also confirmed them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) today received a report from Ayodhya Prasad Chaudhary of Dang whose son Anil Chaudhary, along with his foreign colleagues, was captured by Islamist militants in northern Iraq a few days ago. 

Later, he and his colleagues managed to escape and are now safe at an unknown location, according to MoFA spokesperson Deepak Dhital. Dhital, however, made it clear that Anil was not a part of those Nepalis reportedly abducted along with other foreigners by militants in Kirkuk, another city in northern Iraq. “The report of Nepalis being abducted from Kirkuk is yet to be established,” he added.

However, Agence France Presse today reported that Iraqi militants had released 48 foreigners, including some Nepalis after holding them hostage for several days. “The workers were kidnapped near Hamreen mountains four days ago, and were handed over near a checkpoint between Tikrit and Kirkuk,” the news agency quoted Major General Torhan Abdulrahman, the deputy police chief for Kirkuk province.

Besides, three other Nepalis, who used to work for an Iraqi “dignitary” in Kirkuk, were also caught up in the conflict between Islamist militants and Iraqi forces a few days back. They escaped the militants’ attack, which had targeted their employer’s home.

Nepalese Ambassador to Pakistan Bharat Poudyal, who is also concurrently accredited to Iraq, reported to MoFA that these Nepalis had managed to escape and were now taking refuge on the premises of a local hospital.

“They are safe, unharmed and taking shelter at a local hospital,” Dhital quoted Ambassador Paudyal. He added that these incidents showed Nepalis had been directly affected by the deteriorating security situation in war-torn Iraq.

Nepali missions in Pakistan and Kuwait are constantly in touch with the Nepali network in Iraq and the government too has started dialogue with the International Organisation for Migration seeking help in effecting prompt rescue in case of emergency, according to MoFA.

Published on: 21 June 2014 | The Himalayan Times