2,200 Indians to return from Iraq

He hoped that 1,600 Indians would be back in India in the next 24 hours, including 117 who would fly in from Baghdad just after midnight Sunday.

Under pressure to evacuate Indians stranded in Iraq, the Indian government is using seats available on commercial flights flying out of Baghdad. It is also deploying special flights.

Akbaruddin said the return of 2,200 Indians would in a way mark the completion of the process of bringing back those who wanted to quit Iraq.

The government would be in a position to divert more resources to the facilitation process in "what is an extremely difficult situation in the conflict zone", he said.

"We are working through the front door, back door, trap door," he said, to indicate that New Delhi was sparing no effort to bring back the Indians home safely.

But officials said that 39 Indian workers were still in captivity, held by suspected Sunni militants. But they remained unharmed.

Akbaruddin said 486 telephone calls were received at the control rooms operated by the external affairs ministry from Indians stranded across Iraq.

"We are responding to each one of them," he said.