Efforts to secure release of three Indian hostages in Iraq has suffered a setback with abductors putting a fresh demand in the last minute, Kuwaiti company KGL employing the captives said on Sunday.
The Iraqi militant group 'Islamic Secret Army - Holders of Black Banners' conveyed the fresh demand after their negotiator Sheikh Hisham Al-Dulaimi and representative of KGL had reached an understanding for release of the hostages.
"Till last night everything was going fine. We were expecting to receive the hostages but the abductors changed their mind at the last minute and put in the new demand," Rana Abu-Zaineh, spokesperson for the KGL, told PTI over phone from Kuwait.
Asked whether it was a setback, the spokesperson of Kuwait Gulf Link company answered in the affirmative.
KGL is discussing whether it could meet the fresh demand, Zanieh said declining to reveal the demand.
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She viewed the new demand as pressure tactics being employed by the kidnappers as 'they have realised we will do anything to see our employees freed'.
Tilak Raj, Antaryami and Sukhdev Singh, plying trucks for KGL, were abducted alongwith three Kenyans and one Egyptian drivers of the company in Iraq on July 21.
Hopes were raised last night about the release of the hostages with the government saying that the way has 'reportedly' been cleared for the purpose after direct talks between the abductors' negotiator and senior representatives of KGL.
To a question, the KGL spokesperson said her company has not pulled out of the negotiations and was trying its level best to see a positive outcome of the hostage crisis.
"We have offered much more than a government or any private company could (for their release)," she said.
The spokesperson said the kidnappers were not negotiating as they were only coming up with new demands everyday.
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