Forty-three Indian nurses, stranded in strife-torn Libya, arrived in Kerala this morning.

The nurses, working in various hospitals in Libya, had reached Tunisia, from where they traveled to Dubai to take the scheduled Emirates flight to Kochi, CEO of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs department (NoRKA) P Sudeep told PTI.
 
Fighting between rival militants in Tripoli over the past three weeks and bloody clashes between Islamists and the army in the eastern city of Benghazi have prompted several countries to evacuate their nationals and diplomatic staff.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on August 1 had written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj seeking the Centre's help in arranging flight for facilitating the return of the nurses.

The state government will give a cash assistance of Rs. 2,000 each to these nurses for their onward journey from Kochi, said Mr Sudeep.

Meanwhile, 12 more nurses from Libya are expected to reach Kerala by tomorrow.

Last month, 46 nurses, who were held captive by ISIS militants in Iraq, returned home by a special Air India Flight  bringing an end to their about month long trauma.

(NDTV)