Five Indians Kidnapped In Mali By Gunmen; Terror Link Suspected Amid Al Qaeda Unrest | World News

Gunmen kidnapped five Indian citizens in Mali on Thursday, working for a company carrying out electrification projects near Kobri in the western part of the country. The abduction revealed a worsening security crisis plaguing the West African nation and rising jihadist violence.

A representative of the company confirmed to AFP news agency on Friday that five workers had been kidnapped. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Unrest Increasing in Junta-Ruled Mali

The kidnapping is the latest in a series of security failures in Mali, which is ruled by a military junta following two coups in 2020 and 2021. The country has become the epicenter of a regional crisis fueled by powerful militant groups.

Terrorism Links: The rising unrest is largely blamed on organized crime groups and jihadists linked to major international terrorist networks, including the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Promotion of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Islamic State group.

Company Response: Immediately after the kidnapping, the company relocated its other Indian employees to the capital Bamako for security reasons.

Wider Crisis: The ongoing security crisis has severely worsened the economic environment in Mali, as JNIM recently imposed a suffocating fuel blockade on the country’s major cities, including its capital.

Foreigners Continue to Be the Main Target

Foreign nationals are often kidnapped in Mali, which has been struggling with conflict and instability since 2012. Just weeks ago, JNIM militants kidnapped two Emiratis and an Iranian near Bamako. These victims were reportedly released last week for a hefty ransom of at least $50 million, according to sources close to the negotiations. The fate of the five newly kidnapped Indian workers is still unknown as authorities and the company work on their release.

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