NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today expressed grief at the killings of 39 Indians in captivity in Iraq, and the Delhi Assembly observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to them.
"Extremely saddened to know about the killings of 39 Indian workers who were held hostage in Iraq.
Entire nation stands with the families of victims," Kejriwal tweeted.
In the Assembly, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel read out a condolence message that was followed by a two-minute silence to pay homage to the deceased.
"It is unfortunate that after three-and-a-half years, we came to know that 39 Indians have been killed in Iraq," Goel said.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's tweet:
All the 39 Indians, who were abducted by ISIS in Iraq nearly three years ago, were killed and their bodies have been recovered, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today.
As many as 40 Indians were originally abducted by the terrorist organisation in June 2015 from Mosul in Iraq but one of them escaped by posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh, Swaraj said in a suo motu statement in Rajya Sabha.
The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed.