Mortal remains of Iraq victims reach Amritsar

Amritsar, April 2 (IANS) The mortal remains of 38 Indian men killed by the Islamic State in Mosul in Iraq in 2014 arrived here on Monday afternoon on a special IAF aircraft.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh accompanied the mortal remains.

"We are thankful to the authorities in Iraq for the help (they rendered) to locate the victims and exhume the mortal remains. The government of India did its best to know about the missing Indians," Singh told the media.

Although 39 Indians were killed as the Islamic State took over Mosul in June 2014, the mortal remains of 38 were brought back as the identification of one body is still pending.

While the coffins of 31 victims -- 27 from Punjab and four from Himachal Pradesh -- were handed over to respective authorities at the Amritsar airport here, seven coffins were shifted to another aircraft to be flown to West Bengal (3) and Bihar (4).

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