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3 Indians abducted in Mali amid attacks by Al-Qaeda outfit; MEA asks West African nation to secure release

Indians Abducted in Mali Africa Update: The incident occurred "when a group of armed assailants carried out a coordinated attack" at the premises of the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes.

Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM claimed multiple attacks in Mali the same day, though no group has claimed the kidnapping. (Photos: Wikimedia Commons/ Representational)

Indians abducted in Al-Qaeda-linked terror strikes: India on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the abduction of three of its nationals in Mali amid a wave of attacks in the West African country. The three Indians, “employed at the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes”, were taken hostage during a coordinated assault on July 1.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement, said: “The incident occurred… when a group of armed assailants carried out a coordinated attack at the factory premises and forcibly took three Indian nationals as hostages.”

The government added that “many military and government installations at multiple locations of western and central Mali were attacked by terrorists” on July 1.

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While no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), has said that they were behind several other attacks across Mali on the same day.

India has condemned the incident as a “deplorable act of violence”. “The Government of India… calls upon the Government of the Republic of Mali to take all necessary measures to secure the safe and expeditious release of the abducted Indian nationals.”

The MEA said that the Indian Embassy in Bamako is in “close and constant” communication with the relevant Malian authorities, local law enforcement agencies, and the management of the Diamond Cement Factory. It added that the mission is also in touch with the families of the abducted Indian nationals.

In view of the unstable security environment, the ministry has also issued a safety advisory, urging “all Indian citizens currently residing in Mali to exercise utmost caution, remain vigilant”.

(With inputs from PTI)

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