DHAKA: All 46 Indian nurses held captive by Sunni insurgents in Iraq have been freed and will return to India on Saturday.

The nurses are with Indian officials and are being taken to Erbil airport, from where they will return to Kerala on a special flight.

Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy also confirmed that the nurses are on their way back home, reports the Times of India.

Chandy said an Air India flight will depart from the Indian capital Friday evening to Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan.

“There will be one official each from the Kerala and central governments on the plane,” he said. “The nurses will board the flight at Erbil and the plane will reach Kochi at 7am tomorrow.”

BDST: 1726 HRS, JULY 4, 2014