Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday appealed to the Iraqi abductors of three Indian truck drivers to release the hostages unharmed and unconditionally.

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Antaryami, one of the three hostages, is a native of Upper Dehlan village in Una district of Himachal Pradesh.

The other two hostages have been identified as Tilak Raj and Sukhdev Singh.

"I appeal to the people of Iraq to ensure early release of the three Indians who were merely doing their job with KGL company of Kuwait. India has always stood by the people of Iraq even in its most difficult period. The captors of these hapless Indians must realise that the people of India are friends. I have directed the district administration to talk to the family members of Antaryami and assure them that we would do everything to secure his safety and early release along with other fellow Indians," Singh told rediff.com in New Delhi.

Antaryami, son of Rammurti and Bhago Devi, is married and has an 11-month-old daughter.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Una, Anupam Sharma said Antaryami and five others from different villages in Himachal Pradesh went to Kuwait in October last year.

"They all went to Kuwait through an agent based in Nangal in Punjab. There they started working for a company called
KGL," Sharma said.

Antaryami's family learnt of his captivity through television.