A group of 17 Indian nationals from Punjab and Haryana, held captive in Libya for months, were successfully evacuated to India on Sunday following long winding talks between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Libyan government, sources have said. “The Indians were being held captive by an armed group in Zwara City in Libya after they were trafficked from India. While the Libyan authorities were able to rescue the Indian nationals on June 13, they kept them in their custody as they had illegally entered the country. In March this year, 12 men, mostly from Punjab, were rescued by the MEA from Libya where they were made to perform forced labour. Tickets for return to India were also provided and paid for by the Indian Embassy,” he added.
