ISIS may free Indians soon

Fresh hopes as Saudi negotiators say hostages safe, may be out if US, Iraq pause attacks

Ever since 40 Indian factory workers were kidnapped by the ISIS ( Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) terror outfit, concrete information now available with New Delhi’s top security establishment reveals the ISIS may free the workers once it is convinced the United States and Iraqi forces will not launch further attacks against it.

Intelligence sources said this “crucial information” was conveyed by influen- tial elements within the Saudi establishment who were roped in by Indian agencies to negotiate with the ISIS. The Sunni- dominated ISIS is said to be close to a section of the Saudi regime, which too belongs to the same sect.

Both national security adviser Ajit Doval and Intelligence Bureau chief Asif Ibrahim have been closely monitoring the situation and had even travelled to Iraq following the kidnapping in June. Both the NSA and IB established contacts with influential quarters in Saudi Arabia to help broker a deal with the ISIS.

Though the workers are yet to be released, some Saudi negotiators claim they are absolutely safe and are held in a government building in Mosul. The negotiators also told Indian agencies that the ISIS is convinced that India doesn’t support any armed action against them by either the Iraqis or the US.

“According to some key negotiators who have spoken to the kidnappers, the main reason the ISIS is still holding on to Indian workers and those from other countries is that they feel this might act as a deterrent to armed action against them. We are certain the ISIS will not harm the Indian workers, but one may have to wait a while for them to be released,” a senior intelligence official said.