The Indian embassy in Iraq has said that all Indian nurses working in the strife-torn country are safe. Forty-four Indian nurses working in Iraq had been asked to indicate in writing whether they want government assistance in returning home. Most of them reportedly say they would prefer to stay on, said sources in the Ministry for External Affairs.

The Indian embassy said the nurses have been advised to stay in hospital as the streets are controlled by the militia.

The Kerala government had said that it received an SOS call from a group of nurses on Friday after which Chief Minister Oomen Chandy  called Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to brief her.