Two of the four teachers kidnapped by IS in Libya released

By African Bulletin on July 31, 2015

Two of the four Indian lecturers abducted in Libya by Islamic State militants have been released and brought back safely to the University of Sirte,the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed Friday.

Laxmikant and Vijay Kumar, both hailing from Karnataka state, are the two rescued.

“Four Indians abducted in Libya – I am happy we have been able to secure the release of Lakshmikant and Vijay Kumar. Trying for other two,” India’s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

“Welcome news from Libya,” tweeted Vikas Swarup, the official spokesman of the ministry of external affairs.

“I hope that the other two are also released soon,” said Vijaylakshmi, whose brother Lakshmikanth was freed.

Gopikrishna Tiruveedula, a professor in computer science, and his colleague Balram, both from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh state, are still held hostage by their abductors. But there are indications they too may be released within 24-48 hours.

The Andhra Pradesh government is in touch with the central government and making all efforts to secure their release.

The four Indians hailing from the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh were teaching at the University of Sirte

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, said: “All efforts are being taken to secure their safe release. I and External Affairs Minister (Sushma Swaraj) discussed the issue this morning. She said it has come to her notice and the Government is taking all steps for their safe release. Let’s hope they return without any harm. The government’s efforts are in that direction.”

The families of Gopikrishna and Balram are, however, not convinced. Gopikrishna’s wife, Kalyani, is desperately waiting for a phone call from him and praying for his safe return.

Balram’s wife Sridevi was relieved to learn about ‘a phone call’ from him to a cousin Friday afternoon saying he was quite safe.

The four lecturers have been teaching at the University of Sirte since 2014.

“Three of them were faculty members at the University of Sirte and one was working at the Sirte University’s branch in Jufra,” Swarup said during a press briefing earlier in New Delhi.

Although the university has remained closed after Sirte fell to IS, the four teachers stayed on hoping it will reopen. When there was no sign of it after a long wait, they decided to return to India via Tunis some 500 km away.

Uday Itagi, an English teacher of Sebha University in South Libya, said the four set out in two taxis on Wednesday but some 50 km from Tripoli, they were waylaid near Sirte’s checkpoint by unknown men suspected to be IS militants.

Before abducting them, the militants asked them to reveal their religious identity.

The abduction incident came to light thanks to the mobile phone left behind in the taxi by one of those kidnapped.

When his wife called the number later, the taxi driver told her what happened. Before long, the Indian mission in Tripoli was alerted.

The area from where the Indians were kidnapped is under the control of the Islamic State, which has seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria and has declared itself a caliphate. It is also the home town of Libya’s late dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Taking serious note of the prevailing situation in Libya, the Indian government had in July last year issued an advisory asking its citizens to leave the conflict-hit Libya.

Thirty-nine Indian workers are still missing in Iraq. They were taken hostage last year at the height of the fighting between Sunni militants and government forces. Efforts to get them released have not yielded any results.

Ignoring the government’s warnings, at least 2,000 Indians, mostly workers, are still living in conflict-hit Libya.

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