Journalism of Courage
Forty-six nurses, who were held captive by ISIS militants in Iraq, on Saturday returned home by a special Air India flight to a happy reunion with their families, bringing to an end their about month-long ordeal.
Nurses who were trapped in a territory captured by Islamic militants, board the special Air India flight at the International Airport in Erbil to India on Friday. (Source: PTI)
The special aircraft, which also had on board about 137 others, touched down the tarmac at the Kochi International Airport at 11.57 AM, a senior airport official said. (Source: PTI)
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy whose coordinated effort with the Union Government that ensured liberty to nurses from his state, besides another who hails from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu received them at the airport. (Source: PTI)
Family members of nurses, on whose face a sigh of relief was writ large had assembled in large numbers to see their beloved ones return and were joined by political leaders from BJP and Congress at the airport.
Family members of Indian nurses who had been stranded in territory held by Islamic militants in Iraq await their arrival at the airport in Kochi. News reports say that more than 40 Indian nurses have returned home in Kochi in southern India, aboard a special flight. About 10,000 Indians work and live in Iraq, but only about 100 are in violent, insecure areas. (AP Photo)
The ordeal of the nurses, who were working at a hospital in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, began when ISIS (Islamic State for Iraq and Syria) militants launched an offensive in that region on June nine.
Indian nurses who were trapped in territory captured by Islamic militants wait for the plane to begin their journey home at Irbil International Airport. (AP Photo)
Even as Indian authorities continued to maintain constant touch with their counterparts at Iraq for safe release of nurses, they were moved out on Thursday against their will and detained in the militant-held city of Mosul. (AP Photo)
