Five Indian nationals working on an electrification project in western Mali have been abducted by gunmen, officials and security sources confirmed on Friday. The incident took place near Kobri, an area that has seen increasing unrest and extremist activity in recent months.

According to a security source quoted by AFP , the workers were kidnapped on Thursday by unidentified armed men. “We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals,” a representative of the company employing them said. The firm has since evacuated other Indian employees to Bamako, Mali’s capital, for safety.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the abduction so far, but suspicion has fallen on jihadist organisations operating in the region, including groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS).

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