Five Indians kidnapped by gunmen in Mali, Al-Qaeda, ISIS suspected

BAMAKO: Five Indians have been kidnapped in Mali, a West African country where various groups are fighting. Reports say the incident happened near Kobri in the western region of Mali on Thursday. The Indians abducted were employees working on electrification projects. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. Other Indians working for the company have been relocated to the capital, Bamako, for security reasons.

Kidnappings targeting foreigners are common in Mali, which has been plagued by coups and conflicts since 2012. Jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, kidnapped two Emirati citizens and an Iranian from Bamako in last September. They were later released last week after a ransom of 50 million dollar was paid.

Meantime, al-Qaeda and ISIS are suspected to be behind the kidnappings. Mali, presently under military rule, has been in a state of conflict for a long time. The country's economic crisis is worsening and the people are facing great hardships.