Five Indians kidnapped in Mali as country reels from Al-Qaeda, ISIS-linked unrest

Five Indian nationals who worked for a local electrification project were abducted in Mali by gunmen, officials said on Saturday. The men were kidnapped near Kobri, situated in the western part of the country, a security source confirmed.

The abduction took place on Thursday as armed men intercepted the workers' convoy.

“We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals,” a company representative told AFP. The official also said that the rest of the Indian employees of the firm were evacuated to the Bamako, the capital region.

No group in the country has claimed responsibility for the abduction yet.

The West African country reels from mounting unrest due to extremist violence from jihadist organisations that have been linked to the Al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked terror groups. Mali is under military rule following a series of coups.

The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin or JNIM (the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims), an Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda-linked group, recently enforced a fuel blockade in recent months in the country by sealing off all major highways used by tanker transport for fuel, worsening the economic crisis in the country.

Kidnapping of foreign nationals is not unheard of in the country. In July 2025, three Indians were reportedly kidnapped after an al-Qaeda-affiliated group launched coordinated attacks on military and government installations.

In September, JNIM fighters had abducted two Emirati citizens and an Iranian near Bamako. They were released after a ransom of USD 50 million was reportedly paid.

The JNIM has been expanding from the country’s north to the centre and across borders into Burkina Faso and Niger. They have also held a month-long siege on Bamako. The capital has come to a standstill as fuel supplies have dwindled.

The United States and the United Kingdom are among the many countries that have advised their citizens to leave Mali.