Iraq live: Parliament deadlock ends with the election of new speaker

5:16 pm: Nearly 200 Indians return from Iraq

Another batch of 200 Indian nationals arrived here today from conflict-hit Iraq, taking the number of those who have returned so far to over 2,500.

“One more flight! Iraqi Airways special flight from Najaf brought back 200 Indians nationals to Delhi earlier today,” the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry tweeted.

With the arrival of the fresh batch, the total number of Indians who have returned from the war-torn country crosses 2,500.

While 2,500 tickets have already been utilised to bring back the Indians, an additional 1,000 tickets by the employers for the Indian workers have been facilitated by the mission, officials said.

There were about 10,000 Indians before the start of the serious strife between government troops and Sunni militants backed by al Qaeda in Iraq. With MEA facilitating the departures, it is estimated that there are about 7000 Indians in the non-conflict zones left.

Meanwhile, nearly 50 Indians are still believed to be in conflict areas.

4:35 pm: Iraqi parliament elects new speaker

Iraq’s fractious parliament elected a speaker Tuesday after two failed sittings, with Salim al-Juburi passing the winning threshold of 165 votes, according to a tally shown live on state television.

The much-delayed election kickstarts a political process which should also see lawmakers agree on a federal president and a new government which will face the daunting task of steering the country through its worst crisis in years.

3:36 pm: Radical cleric rejects ISIL’s declaration of caliphate

Radical cleric Abu Qatada, who is being tried on terror charges in Jordan, on Tuesday denounced as “void” the declaration of a caliphate by Sunni jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

“The announcement of a caliphate by the Islamic State (IS) is void and meaningless because it was not approved by jihadists in other parts of the world,” Abu Qatada wrote in a 21-page document published on jihadist websites.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) who renamed itself Islamic State after declaring caliphate, has been fighting in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, on June 29 proclaimed a “caliphate” straddling both countries and headed by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who now calls himself Caliph Ibrahim.

“This group does not have the authority to rule all Muslims and their declaration applies to no-one but themselves,” said Abu Qatada.

“Its threats to kill opponents, sidelining of other groups and violent way of fighting opponents constitute a great sin, reflecting the reality of the group,” wrote the Palestinian-born preacher.

Abu Qatada, who has repeatedly criticised the ISIL, urged other Muslims against joining the Sunni jihadist group.

“They are merciless in dealing with other jihadists. How would they deal with the poor, the weak and other people?”

Jordan’s jihadist movement is generally dominated by anti-IS groups that support Al-Qaeda and its Syrian ally, Al-Nusra Front.

1:25 pm: Iraqi forces advance into militant-held Tikrit

Iraqi security forces advanced into militant-held Tikrit on Tuesday in an assault aimed at revitalising flagging efforts to retake the city, officials said.

Security forces began the attack on Tuesday morning and have succeeded in retaking government facilities in the city’s south.

“Iraqi forces began a military operation to liberate the city of Tikrit and our forces were able to control the southern part of the city,” Ahmed Abdullah Juburi, the governor of Salaheddin province of which Tikrit is the capital, told AFP.

An army colonel said the police academy and a hospital had been retaken, and Juburi confirmed those facilities were in government hands, along with the governorate headquarters.

12:18 pm: Iraqi army launches assault to retake Tikrit

Iraq’s army launched an assault Tuesday morning to try to retake the militant-held northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, an officer and a soldier involved in the attack told Reuters.

The attempt to retake Tikrit, which fell on June 12 to Sunni insurgents led by the extremist Islamic State group, began two-and-a-half weeks ago. The army has been saying for two weeks that its forces are on the outskirts of the city.

Updates for 15 July begin here

End of updates for 7 July

3:15 pm: Kerala CM to hold meeting on 11 July to discuss rehabilitation of nurses

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday informed the assembly that a meeting would be held on 11 July to discuss issues related to rehabilitation of 46 Keralite nurses, who returned after being stranded in violence-hit region in Iraq.

The nurses and the institutions that had offered jobs to them have been called for the meeting, Chandy said during a special mention on the issue in the assembly.

“If anyone has to get credit for their safe return, it should go to the presence of mind and willpower of the nurses”, Chandy said, adding, it was a united effort of everybody concerned, PTI reported.

9:18 am: Did ISIL militants make a failed attempt to release the 39 Indian hostages?

A report in the Indian Express says ISIL militants attempted to release the 39 construction workers close to 10 days ago, however they were unable to do so due gunfire and blasts on their route.

“My friend called me and told me that they were all being taken to Ebril from Mosul when their vehicles were obstructed by heavy firing and two blasts. I have lost contact with them for over nine days as their phones are switched off. The militants asked them to get off and run. They ran in groups of two and three and were later rounded up by the militants who have presently housed them at a garments factory,” the report quoted a friend of the workers as saying.

Read the full report here .

7:00 am: More than 2,000 Indians wish to return from Iraq

Nearly 2,200 Indians in Iraq’s non-conflict areas wish to return home, with 117 of them set to reach the capital after midnight Sunday, it was announced Sunday.

The external affairs ministry said the government was buying tickets for some 1,600 of the 2,200 while the air fare for the other 600 were being paid by the companies in Iraq they worked for.
Akbaruddin said the return of 2,200 Indians would in a way mark the completion of the process of bringing back those who wanted to quit Iraq.

End of updates for 6 July

6.35 pm: Around 1600 Indians in Iraq being given tickets by MEA

As the rescue operations to evacuate Indians stranded in strife-torn Iraq pick up pace, Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin informed that around 1600 nationals are being provided with tickets by the Indian government for their return.

Briefing the reporters, Akbaruddin said so far 486 telephone calls have been received by the control rooms set up by the MEA, and the officials are responding to each one of them.

“Two other special flights will be flying to New Delhi from Najaf and Basra in next 36 to 48 hours with approximately 200 Indian nationals,” he said.

3.45 pm: Returning Indian citizens relate Iraq hardships

Indian citizens returning from various cities of Iraq say that not only did they have to battle unsafe surroundings and constant bombings but also non-payment of salaries and dues.

Parmanand Singh, who hails from Bihar and has just returned from Iraq, told ANI, “The situation in Iraq is terrible, there are bombs going off everywhere. We have not been paid by the company for three months. We don’t have money to go home. We were stuck for 25 days and at least 1000 men are still stuck there.”

Another Indian resident returning from Iraq said that the Iraqi companies were making them work endlessly, not giving them proper food and cutting off the electricity supply.

2.30 pm: ISIL militants treated us well, say freed nurses

The 46 nurses who returned to India from Iraq say that they were treated well by ISIL militants who never behaved ‘indecently’ with them.

“They behaved cordially and treated us well. There was not even a single incident of  indecent behavior… they addressed us as sisters,’’ one of the nurses, Santy John, was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

Santy also told the newspaper that the armed men with covered faces always told them “not to worry”.

12.30 pm: Job offers pour in for Kerala nurses

The nurses who arrived from Iraq after many days in captivity are getting a lot of job offers from Non Residents Keralites, according to ANI.

The report added that many of them are also being offered nursing jobs in Gulf hospitals for very high salaries.

Some of the offers have come in from institutions like the Altas Group, Amrita Institute of Medical Science.

A DNA report added that aside from jobs, the nurses were also receiving marriage proposals.

From the government’s side, a formal notice has been released by the Health Minister VS Shiva Kumar offering jobs at Shree Uthuradam Thirunal Hospital Trivandrum.

11.30 am: At least 400 more Indians to return in next 48 hours

In the next 48 hours, another batch of nearly 400 Indians will return to the country from Iraq, according to the MEA.

“The return of Indians from Iraq has gathered pace,” MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin had said on Saturday, as 46 Indian nurses briefly held hostage by Sunni Arab militants arrived to an emotional welcome in Kochi.

“In the next 48 hours, approximately another 400 Indian nationals would be returning to various destinations in India, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, through commercial flights.”

-- end of updates for 5 July –

8.34 pm: Four construction labourers from TN return home

Four construction labourers from Tamil Nadu stranded in strife-torn Iraq and evacuated along with others on a special Air India flight arrived here this evening from Hyderabad.

The labourers disembarked at Hyderabad along with 76 other Indian workers, mostly from Telangana and reached here by a regular commercial airline flight. They were received by state government officials.

Three of them hailed from Madurai, Kallakurichi and Tiruvannamalai districts while the other was a resident of the city, police said.

All the four had gone to Baghdad some eight months ago for job.

State government has made arrangements for the onward journey of the three persons to their homes.

7.10 pm: BJP lauds Modi govt for bringing back nurses

After the nurses came back home safely today and 600 more Indians are likely to be back tomorrow, the BJP has lauded the Modi government for its effort in Iraq.

“We are grateful to the Narendra Modi-led Indian government for the way they have come to the aid of stranded Indians in Iraq and ensuring their safe return,” BJP’s media cell in-charge, Shrikant Sharma said.

Complimenting the efforts of the External Affairs Ministry in reaching out to the stranded Indians in Iraq, he said the safe return of some Indians was ensured by them under such trying conditions prevailing in the war-torn country.

“We hope that with its continued efforts the Ministry will help every Indian lodged in Iraq to return to their motherland safely,” he said.

5.20 pm: After the nurses, 600 more Indians to return home on Sunday

After the nurses came back home safely today, 600 more Indians are likely to be brought back home tomorrow.

CNN-IBN reports that 200 Indians from Najaf will be brought back tomorrow morning and 400 more Indians in south of Baghdad will be back home tomorrow night.

The nurses, held captive by militants in Iraq, on their arrival said that they never want to go back.

12.50 pm: BJP tries to score brownie points, flashes party posters outside Kochi airport Not missing an opportunity to praise the BJP government, party workers put up banners outside the Kochi airport, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for the rescue efforts which resulted in the 46 nurses returning to the country.

12.30 pm: We are safe, thrilled to be home, say nurses As they left Kochi airport, nurses spoke to Malayalam TV channels and said they were absolutely safe. “We were well taken care of, but will never return to Iraq,” said one of them.

A couple of nurses suffered minor injuries, said another nurse.

Another nurse said some of them had never been paid while they were there in Iraq, forcing them to work for months without wages. “We know people have prayed for us and we are thankful to them.. we weren’t paid at all in Iraq and we have been working without pay.. I can’t go back,” Sandra Sebastian told news channels.

The nurses were received by their family members. They said they never expected that they would emerge from the conflict situation alive.

Recounting their departure from Tikrit to Mosul, one of them said the ISIS militants actually hurried them into the bus to safety when a bomb attack occurred just as they left the hospital building where they had been trapped. About five nurses sustained minor injuries to their hands in the process.

They were fed and looked after, they reiterated. One nurse said the insurgents provided biscuits and juice.

Meanwhile, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said the remaining Indians evacuated from Iraq will disembark at Hyderabad. He tweeted the update soon after the flight took off from Kochi to Hyderabad.

11.57 am: Air India flight carrying 46 Indian nurses lands in Kochi

A special plane carrying Indian nurses from Iraq has landed in Kochi, where Kerala CM Oommen Chandy along with family members of the nurses will welcome them at the airport.

A medical team is also present at the airport after reports suggested that some of them had suffered injuries in that country.

The flight will leave from Kochi to Hyderabad and onwards to New Delhi.

11.10 am: I am relieved that they are back, says Chandy

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy returned to Kerala from the national capital this morning, tell reports he was relieved that the nurses are on their way back and the credit for their rescue goes to everyone.

“I am very relieved, not only me but everyone in Kerala,” Chandy told reporters gathered outside the airport.

“The Centre has acted in complete understanding of the deep anxieties of Kerala. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Iraq have made sincere efforts in securing the release of the nurses,” Chandy told reporters here this morning.

Meanwhile, a group of school students have gathered at the airport in protest against the on-going sectarian war in Iraq.

https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/485300440112713728

10.45 am: Air India flight leaves Mumbai for Kochi

The special Air India aircraft carrying 46 Indian nurses has left for Kochi after a short stopover in Mumbai. In Kerala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will receive the nurses at the airport, where a special immigration desk has been set up.

Earlier today, Chandy had said that the AI flight was not allowed to land at the Erbil airport and was about to fly back, but after the intervention of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, the issue was resolved.

“Although we had all the permissions required from the airport, a few problems came up. The flight was sent back without landing in Erbil. The Kerala house resident commissioner Gyanesh Kumar called me from the flight and informed me about the problem.

“I called up the minister for external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj immediately and the crisis was resolved as soon as she intervened,” Chandy was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

9.21 am: Special Air India flight lands in Mumbai

The Air India craft carrying 46 nurses from Iraq has landed in Mumbai and will soon take off for Kochi, where the nurses will disembark, CNN-IBN reports.

The flight, which is carrying a total of 183 India nationals, made the technical stop at Mumbai to refuel the craft.

“A Special Air India flight carrying 46 Indian nurses and 137 others from strife-torn Iraq lands in Mumbai at 8:43 am,” an Airport official told PTI.

7.47 am: Special Air India flight will reach Kochi at noon

The special Air India flight carrying 46 Indian nurses set free by Sunni militants ISIS in strife-torn Iraq and 137 others would first land in Mumbai and reach Kochi at around noon today, a top airport official said.

The flight carrying 183 Indian nationals from Erbil was expected to reach Mumbai at around 9.30 am and after disembarkment of some passengers would arrive in Kochi at around 11.55 am, Cochin International Airport Director A K C Nair told PTI this morning.

Updates for 4 July end

5.38 pm: We still have a war to win, says Syed Akbaruddin

However Syed Akbaruddin said that it was only a small little battle that was won. “We still have a war to win,” he said.

He said, “My understanding is that the nurses are unharmed. It will be our endevour, that once they are in civilian areas we will provide assistance for their mental wellbeing. But the best antidote for them will be to be with their families.”

5.30 pm: Hope has triumphed, Indian nurses are free, says MEA

Spokesperson of the MEA Syed Akbaruddin today confirmed that the Indian nurses were safe and being brought back to India.

“I can confirm to you that those Indian nurses who were moved against their will are now free,” Akbaruddin said.

“It’s been a day of dramatic developments. We started with some of you thinking we were moving towards hopelessness. Ultimately it is hope that has triumphed,” he said.

“We had sent our officials from Baghdad to Erbil. They are now in contact with the Indian nurses. This process did not happen just like that. It happened because enormous amount of effort was put in both inside and outside Iraq,” he said.

“We did not share the information with you because the process was under way. This makes us re-double our efforts for those who are still under captivity. As far as those 46 nurses are concerned they will move to Erbil tonight. There will be 70 others who will join them. the flight will first fly to Kochi, and then will fly to Delhi to drop off others,” he said.

“A senior Indian diplomat is on the plane who will co-ordinate with the Kurdhish authorities and then with other authorities,” Akbaruddin said.

However refusing to divulge information on the captors, he said. “We will reveal to you who were the captors after the process is over.”

4.47 pm: Nurses want to come back at the earliest, says Kerala CM Oommen Chandy

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said that the nurses want to come back to India at the earliest and that he was thankful to the Indian government to ensure their safety.

“They Want to come back at the earliest. They started their journey today at 12.30 pm. According to the reports they have reached the border near the international airport,” Chandy said.

“The Government of India has agreed to send an aircraft so that they can come back to Kochi tomorrow. We are very thankful to the government and the embassy,” he added.

He added, “The state government has not yet discussed rehabilitating them. But it will be decided on soon.”

4.38 pm: Indian nurses safe, says Kerala CM Oommen Chandy

After meeting Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj today, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said, “The nurses are safe, the MEA will brief the media soon.”

4.03 pm: Iraq govt airstrikes targets Sunni militants

A spokesman for Iraqi counter terrorism forces says government airstrikes have targeted a group of Sunni militants trying to overrun the country’s largest oil refinery, and claims as many as 30 insurgents were killed.

Sabah al-Nuaman says a government plane targeted around eight vehicles attacking military forces defending the Beiji oil refinery north of Baghdad early today. Fighters from the Islamic State extremist group have been trying to capture the Beiji facility from some two weeks.

Al-Nuaman also says a helicopter gunship hit a house in the town of Qaim near the Syrian border where a gathering of the jihadi group’s local leaders was taking place. He says there were several casualties, but did not have a concrete figure.

An official in the Anbar province operational command confirmed the Qaim airstrike.

2.57 pm: Indian nurses cross border posts, reach Kurdistan

The Indian nurses have now reached the Kurdistan region in Iraq which is considered to be safe.

CNN-IBN reports that the nurses have crossed the border post into the area. India is also sending special aircraft to bring them back.

2.00 pm: ‘Nurses to stay in Erbil today, will be flown to Kochi by special craft’

Government sources have told CNN-IBN that the nurses will be at Erbil airport for today and will be flown to Kochi by a special aircraft early Saturday morning.

They will reach Kochi at 7 am on Saturday, the sources told CNN-IBN. The nurses will be provided proper travel documents before they can leave that country.

A special aircraft will take off from Delhi at 5 pm and will reach Erbil late tonight. It will again take off early tomorrow morning and arrive in India at 7 am.

One state and one central government official will be on-board the aircraft.

1.42 pm: Indian nurses have been freed, International Red Cross tells CNN-IBN

International Red Cross has confirmed to news channel CNN-IBN that the Indian nurses who have been held captive in Iraq have been freed.

1.33 pm: ‘Indian nurses expected to arrive at Erbil airport in an hour’

Kurdish government sources have told CNN-IBN that the nurses are expected to be dropped off at Erbil airport in an hour.

CNN-IBN also reports that the nurses have been asked to switch-off their mobile phones.

1.20 pm: We are being transported in a big white van, Indian nurse tells family

One of the nurses, Sayona from Palakkad spoke to her father at around  noon  and informed him that they were about to be transported to Erbil. “They asked us to get ready in five minutes,” she told her father. He also said that there was no pressure on them and had been no ill treatment by the rebels.

Another nurse, Veena, also called her home in Kerala and informed them that they are being taken to Erbil in a “big white” vehicle. Besides the driver, there is only one person who is accompanying the group.

1.10 pm: Nurses reportedly leave for airport, India keeps three aircraft ready

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s office has confirmed that ISIS militants will soon release Indian nurses held captive in Iraq. An official announcement is likely soon after the Ministry of External Affairs confirms the development.

News channels in Kerala report that vehicles carrying the nurses have already left for the airport. To bring them back at short notice, the Union government has kept three aircrafts ready at three different locations - Kochi, Mumbai and Dubai. Bulk bookings have also been made in Iraqi airlines.

The Indian embassy has been in touch with the nurses and have advised them to travel with the rebel representatives. Apparently there is an airport near Mosul where they were last kept, but it’s not as big as Erbil, which is well connected to Dubai and Tehran. Baghdad is about 450 km from Erbil.

Forty five of the nurses are from Kerala and one from Tuticorin. Most of them, 17, are from Kottayam in central Travancore.

Earlier today, Chandy had said: “I can say they are all safe, we are trying to get them back at the earliest. For that purpose we met Sushmaji at the MEA.”

12.05 pm: Indian nurses could soon be freed by ISIS

In a major positive development in the Iraq crisis, a nurse held by ISIS militants in Iraq has told CNN-IBN that the militants will soon free them and drop them off at the Erbil Airport.

“ISIS militants told us to get ready in 5 minutes,” an unidentified nurse told the news channel. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s office has confirmed this development to CNN-IBN. More details and an official confirmation is awaited.

MEA sources have confirmed to TimesNow that the nurses will be freed soon. TimesNow also reports that Air India flights have been kept on stand by.

On Thursday, one of the nurses told CNN-IBN: “We have been taken to some place that looks like an old company and have been kept in a hall. This place is near Mosul. We saw the Kirkook general hospital, and also passed the Al Jamoori Hospital. Throughout the journey the militants were nice to us- even provided food, biscuits and water. We want someone to help us.”

On Thursday, 32 Turkish drivers were freed by ISIS militants.

9.40 am: Abducted nurses moved to Mosul

The 46 Indian nurses who were forcibly moved by ISIS militants from Tikrit have reached the Iraqi city of Mosul and are unharmed, said a source on Friday. The nurses were taken in buses from Tikrit to Mosul by a team of the Sunni insurgents on Thursday. The nurses reached Mosul at around midnight India time. “They are safe and have been kept in two rooms which has only one door,” a source close to the nurses told IANS.

The nurses were provided food and water by their escorts.

The militants have now adopted a “tough” attitude towards the nurses, the source added.

The Sunni militants were pleasant tempered towards the nurses on Thursday but “are now displaying a tough attitude”, the source added.

7:37 am: Indian government wasted a lot of time; they can send coffins for us now, says one of the nurses

One of the 46 Indian nurses who have been abducted by ISIL militants alleged that the government wasted precious time in taking action which has led to their abduction, Hindustan Times reported.

“Our government wasted a lot of time. Now, they can send coffins to take us back. We were politely resisting their moves to shift us from the hospital but now their tone is different. We have no option but to obey them,” a nurse named Sona told HT over the phone.

Read the full report here .

7:00 am: One of the nurses tells parents they are safe and being shifted to another location

The parents of Tintu are more worried as the news of nurses, with whom her daughter is also travelling were shifted to some other place from Tikrit hospital and speculations are on air make them worried back home in Kerala, CNN-IBN reported.

One of the nurses told CNN-IBN that they had been shifted to Mosul and were not put up in an abandoned building.

Tintu, who is one among the 46 stranded nurses in Tikrit, Iraq had last time called her parents and said that they all are shifted to some other place and till now they are safe. but what could happen next is not so sure. Foods and other items are been provided by the people who had taken all the nurses to a different place, she added over the phone CNN-IBN reported.

Tintu is a resident of Alakode village near Kannur district in Kerala. Tintu’s father, a poor man urged the state and central government to act soon and bring their daughter safe back home. Tintu’s mother Mrs. Thankan said that she had called today and said they are safe and shifted to a different place and were provided with food and water.