Five Indians kidnapped in Mali as Al-Qaeda, ISIS-linked groups tighten grip

Five Indian nationals have been abducted in Mali, officials confirmed on Saturday, amid escalating extremist violence in the West African nation linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS-affiliated groups. According to AFP, armed men kidnapped the workers on Thursday near Kobri in western Mali. The victims were employed by a company involved in local electrification projects.

A representative of the firm confirmed the incident, saying, “We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals. The other Indians working for the company have been evacuated to Bamako, the capital.” No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abductions.

The Indian workers were seized as Mali continues to reel from years of instability and extremist violence. The country’s military junta is struggling to contain insurgent groups such as the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which recently intensified attacks and imposed a crippling fuel blockade.

Kidnappings of foreign nationals are frequent in Mali, where repeated coups and jihadist attacks since 2012 have eroded central authority. In September, JNIM fighters abducted two Emirati citizens and an Iranian near Bamako. The hostages were released last week after a ransom of about USD 50 million was reportedly paid.

The insurgency itself traces back to a Tuareg rebellion in 2012, which gradually evolved into a transnational jihadist threat spreading across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The ruling junta, led by Assimi Goita, came to power promising to crush the insurgency. However, his decision to sever defence partnerships with France and the United States and pivot toward Russian support has yielded little visible progress.

While Bamako remains under government control, security sources say JNIM’s territorial reach is expanding. In several regions, the group enforces strict social rules, including curbs on movement and mandatory hijab for women using public transport, deepening fears of further instability.

The Indian embassy in Bamako is closely monitoring the situation, with all remaining Indian workers now relocated to safer zones. Authorities have not released the names of those abducted pending confirmation of their safety.