New Delhi: Efforts to free the three Indian hostages held in Iraq since July 21 were revived today (Aug 10, 2004) with the captives' Kuwaiti employer establishing an indirect contact with the abductors after a day's break and hoping for a "positive outcome".

"Some old Iraqi friends have started talking to the abductors," KGL spokesperson Rana Abu-Zaineh told sources over phone from Kuwait without giving any details of the talks.

Pointing out that these new mediators were intervening on behalf of the company, she said, "We are still hopeful of a positive outcome".

Zaineh, however, said the abductors had so far not responded to KGL's proposal for deputing a new negotiator on their behalf after the company refused to talk to Sheikh Hisham Al-Dulaimi, a tribal leader who had been mediating till Sunday.

Negotiations to free Tilak Raj, Antaryami and Sukhdeo Singh, abducted in Iraq on July 21, went into a limbo yesterday (Aug 9, 2004) as the two sides had become incommunicado after KGL pulled out of talks on Sunday.