Kendrapara, Oct. 1: The mood has been celebratory since news of Pravas Ranjan Samal's release and return to India reached here.

The 48-year-old biomedical engineer, who worked at Ibn-e-Sina hospital in Sirte, Libya, had been kidnapped by IS militants there on September 8. He landed in New Delhi yesterday with the help of the Indian Embassy in Tripoli.

Speaking to a TV channel in New Delhi, Pravas said: "On September 8, some IS terrorists kidnapped me, along with other heath workers. I had been working at the hospital in Sirte for 10 years. Though the town is under IS control, I had never expected them to kidnap any health workers. I managed to escape from their custody on September 18 and later reached the Indian Embassy."

Pravas's acquaintances celebrated his release by bursting crackers and distributing sweets at Bhagabanpur and Hantapada, his ancestral village. His relatives had been performing puja at the village temple since September 8 for his safe release.

"Since September 8, we have been glued to TV channels for update on him. Now, we are eagerly waiting for the arrival of my elder brother in Kendrapara," said Pravas' younger brother Bikram.

"We are delighted to hear about his safe arrival," said Bikram's wife Bishnupriya.

Pravas had married a Filipino nurse Rosario in 1997.

The couple have two sons. At present, Rosario is in the Philippines with her sons. She also worked as a nurse at a Tripoli hospital.