No confirmation of hostages' release: India

NEW DELHI: India on Sunday night said it has no confirmation about reports of release of three of its nationals kidnapped by a militant group in Iraq attributed to Kenyan Foreign Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere but hoped that the hostages would be freed.
"I wish to convey that as of now we have no confirmation of their release. Neither our embassy in Baghdad nor our embassy in Kuwait have been able to confirm this," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told reporters here.
News agency AFP quoting the Mwakwere from Nairobi said "we have received information that all the hostages, including three Kenyans, three Indians and an Egyptian, were released between 30 mintes and an hour ago."
"They are in safe hands now, and a senior Kenyan foreign ministry official, Yusuf Nzibo, is in Kuwait awaiting their arrival there and receive them," he was quoted as saying.
An AP report from Nairobi quoting Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Motua said the hostages have been taken to Egyptian embassy in Baghdad and the three Kenyans are in good health.
However, Iraqi tribal mediator Sheikh Hisham al-Dulaimi said in Baghdad that he could not confirm the reports of the release of the hostages who included the three Indians Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukhdeo Singh. "I know nothing about it. This is all news to me," he said.