New Delhi, Aug. 27: Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company, the employers of the seven truck drivers — including three Indians — being held hostage for over a month, today declared that it has no presence in Iraq and appealed for their release.

The kidnappers, a group that calls itself the Holders of the Black Banner, had said in a statement last night that they would drop all their demands but asked the company to end its operations in Iraq, KGL spokesperson Rana Abu-Zaineh said.

“KGL welcomes the statement by the...(group) on its willingness to release the seven drivers. And so the company has agreed to stop its operations in Iraq,” a company statement said.

“We confirm we have no presence or operations in Iraq. They (abductors) should believe it and release the hostages,” Zaineh said over phone from Kuwait.

The militant group, which kidnapped the three Indians, an Egyptian and three Kenyans on July 21, had made the statement on Al Arabiya television. Zaineh has conveyed her company’s message to the abductors through the same Dubai-based channel.

The spokesperson said the kidnappers’ statement indicates that efforts to secure the hostages’ release are moving in a “promising direction”.

The government has been informed about KGL’s move. The government expressed happiness at the development, but decided not to make any official comment till the crisis is over. Officials are not willing to say in public whether this will lead to an early release of the hostages.

“We are not going to jump the gun,” said a senior foreign ministry official. “We are aware that there can be many a slip between the cup and the lip.”

In private, however, South Block officials said they were hopeful the hostages would soon walk free. Foreign ministry officials are in close touch with the Indian embassies in Baghdad and Kuwait.