New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the Home Ministry to get details about the family members of the three Indians kidnapped by a militant group in Iraq to enable the Government to get in touch with them, official sources said today (July 22, 2004).

The Prime Minister's directive has been conveyed to officials in the Home Ministry by the PMO (Prime Ministers Office), they said.

Government is also expected to the make a statement in the Lok Sabha on the issue of kidnapping of the three Indian truckers identified as Tilak Raj, Sukhdev Singh and Antaryami. The External Affairs Ministry is in touch with Indian Embassies in Iraq and Kuwait as part of efforts for their safe and early return.

"We are trying to get in touch with various sources," they said, observing that Indian envoy to Iraq Brij Tyagi, who was in New Delhi, left for Baghdad today.

Efforts would be made to try and open up channels of communication with the militant group to secure release of the hostages, the sources said.