After months of captivity, 9 Indian sailors let off in Libya

New Delhi, June 3

Nine Indian sailors of a merchant vessel who were held captive for several months by a local militia in Libya have been released, people familiar with the development said on Saturday.

After their release, the Indian nationals reached the Libyan capital of Tripoli where they were received by the Indian Ambassador to Tunisia.

It is learnt that the group contacted the Indian Embassy in Tunisia on February 15 and told it that Merchant Vessel MT Maya 1, where they were working, broke down near the coast of Libya and they had been taken into captivity by a local militia.

The mission immediately took up the matter with the Libyan authorities seeking consular access and to ensure the safety and repatriation of the group to India as early as possible.

The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian mission continued to follow up the matter with the authorities concerned in Libya and kept the family members of the Indian nationals posted regularly about the developments in the case.