Story of 39 Indians killed by ISIS in Mosul as told by two Bangladeshi workers to ABP News in 2014

NEW DELHI: Thirty-nine Indians kidnapped by the Islamic State in Iraq's Mosul in 2014 are dead, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. She told the House that their bodies were spotted using deep penetration radar. The bodies were exhumed from mass graves in Iraq's Badush and DNA testing led to the identification of 38 as being of missing Indians, she said. ABP News had in November 2014 reported about these killing on account of two Bangladeshi workers whom the channel spoke to in Kurdistan’s capital Erbil four years ago. The Islamic State seized control of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in June 2014 after it defeated the Iraqi Army, resulting in killings of thousands of civilians. However, Iraqi forces initiated an offensive in October 2016, to retake the city and succeeded in their efforts in July 2017. The story of 39 Indians in Iraq's Mosul as told by two Bangladeshi nationals to ABP News in 2014 ABP News Correspondent Jagwinder Patial who had visited Erbil along with spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in November 2014 met two Bangladeshi workers -- Shafi Islam and Hasan -- who gave chilling details about the ordeal they Indians suffered under the hands of the ISIS.

Bangladeshi workers Shafi Islam and Hasan claim that #39Indians mostly from Punjab were killed by ISIS militants.

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) November 27, 2014

The two Bangladeshi nationals working for a construction company in Iraq mentioned about one Indian worker Harjeet Masih who miraculously escaped from the clutches of the militants. Harjeet informed Shafi and Hasan that he witnessed the killings of all his Indian co-workers. Erbil was the place where thousands of people from different locations escaped into as it was considered to be safe from ISIS' onslaught at that time. Shafi told ABP News that they were travelling to Mosul from Baghdad and on the way were kidnapped by ISIS militants on June 11. The entire workers comprised of 51 Bangladeshis and 40 Indian workers which included mostly citizens from Punjab and some from Kolkata. The Indians comprised of 2 old aged men while the rest were relatively young. The masked militants holding pistols and Qurans in their hands segregated the workers from both the nationalities in two groups. After scrutinizing the Bangladeshis and knowing about their religious faith, militants told them that they would be taken to Erbil soon. While the Indians were kept in a different room who sensed they too would be released. Their mobiles and passports were all confiscated by the militants. All of them were given just one roti at 10 am during the entire day. However, Harjeet told Shafi that on June 15, they had taken all the 40 Indians along with him to a hilly terrain where all of them were shot. Harjeet too suffered two bullet injuries but acted as if he was dead. To confirm even Harjeet was dead, he was kicked by them but since they didn’t observe any movement in his body made them conclude that he had perished too. The terrifying narration by Shafi and Hasan had then made us constantly ask them that despite being shot at how did Harjeet manage to escape? Hasan said the bullets must have just brushed him and not penetrated deep inside. Shafi had said that the location where Indians were shot dead and where the Bangladeshi workers were confined to was only 6 kms. Harjeet reached that location named Al Jamia by ISIS gunmen who did not suspect of what he has gone through. He told ISIS brigade dropped him there as he lied to them that he was a Bangladeshi named Ali. Very successfully he dodged the militants by faking his identity. “Harjeet was a dark man, 5.5 feet tall & had little beard. He used to speak to the militants in English, he knew little Arabic,” Shafi described the Indian’s appearance. “He was petrified and crying. We made sure then that his identity would not be revealed and was taken to a different building so that no one doubts him. Harjeet was made to read namaz with us,” Shafi claimed. “On the way to Erbil, we were checked the by Iraqi military. We had informed our embassy. Harjeet was with us. The army took our photos and were taken to Erbil in our office vehicle,” says Hasan. Shafi had  said, “Harjeet spoke to India embassy and informed about the killings. He is likely to be in Erbil.” Shafi had also recognized a lot of pictures of Indians we had carried. He could identify Nand Lal, Harish and Tiwari.