Odisha Man among 2 Indians abducted by IS Militants in Libya

Two Indian workers were abducted by the IS militants from Sirte in Libya, confirms Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup. One is from Odisha and has been identified as Prabhas Ranjan Samal. Another person is Ramamurthy Kosanamrom from Andhra Pradesh.

Prabhas, 50, is an Engineer by profession. He hails from Kendrapara district and has been staying in Libya for the last 12 years with his wife and two children. The duo were picked from Ibn-e-Sina in Sirte, where they had been working. It is not immediately known whether there was any ransom call, which has been a regular feature in that region.

The Indian Mission in Tripoli is in touch with the local people to secure the release of Indian Nationals. The matter was also taken up at the diplomatic level. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his concerns over the matter and directed the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi to take up the matter at the highest level.