Indian University Lecturers Liberated in Libya, Family Elated

After over a year of captivity at the hands of Daesh militants, two Indian university lecturers have been released amid the liberation of Sirte.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – A recent tweet from India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj brought immense relief to the family of T. Gopalakrishna and Balaram Kishan, both from Southern India. 

Swaraj tweeted about their releases this morning: "I am happy to inform that T Gopalakrishna (AP) & C BalaramKishan (Telangana) who were captive in Libya since 29 July 2015 have been rescued."

I am happy to inform that T Gopalakrishna (AP) & C BalaramKishan (Telangana) who were captive in Libya since 29 July 2015 have been rescued.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 15, 2016

​The Indian nationals were teaching at Sirte University and were abducted while trying to flee Libya amid the ongoing fight with Daesh (ISIS) militants.

Sridevi, the wife of Professor Balaram Kishan, told Press Trust of India “We were informed around midnight by the MEA, Libyan government officials and others that he (Balaram) has been rescued along with Gopalakrishna. My husband also spoke to me this morning. It was only a few seconds, he enquired about our children and me and other family members.”

Sridevai also recalled her last conversation with her husband more than a year ago, just before he and Gopalakrishna were abducted by Daesh militants on July 29, 2015.

According to The Libya Observer, two North Koreans were also freed from Daesh prisons during the ongoing liberation of the city.

According to Al-Jazeera, "forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed government have said they pushed into the last holdouts" of Daesh in Sirte.