As many as five Indian workers have been kidnapped in Mali, officials said on Saturday, as the West African country battles worsening incidents of violence launched by the Al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked terror group.
According to the officials, a dozen gunmen kidnapped the Indian nationals on Thursday near Kobri in western Mali. The Indians had been employed by a local firm on electrification projects.
However, all the other Indian nationals working there have been evacuated to the capital, Bamako, the sources added.
“We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals. The other Indians working for the company have been evacuated to Bamako, the capital,” the official said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions yet.
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Mali, currently ruled by a Military Junta, has faced years of instability and surging violence.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has recently tightened a crippling fuel blockade, worsening an already severe economic crisis.
This is not an isolated incident; kidnappings are a widespread phenomenon in many African nations where militant groups often target foreign nationals for ransom and monetary rewards.
Earlier in September, JNIM fighters had kidnapped two Emirati citizens and an Iranian near Bamako, releasing them only last week after a ransom of around $50 million was reportedly paid.
The JNIM, which was born out of the Tuareg rebellion in 2012, has expanded its reach from Northern Mali into the country’s centre and across the border into Burkina Faso and Niger.
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