5 Indians kidnapped in Mali amid Al Qaeda unrest

New Delhi: New Delhi is working closely with the Malian authorities to secure the safe release of five Indian nationals who were kidnapped by armed men in Mali last week, the Indian Embassy in Bamako said. The five Indians were employed by a company that is working on electrification projects.

They were abducted last week by gunmen near Kobri, in western Mali, as the West African country reels from mounting unrest and jihadist violence.

The kidnapping happened on Thursday, but so far, no group has claimed responsibility. Mali, currently ruled by a military junta, has been struggling to contain surging unrest blamed on criminal groups and jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.