Three Indians Kidnapped in Mali Amid Coordinated Attacks by Al Qaeda-Linked Terror group

New Delhi: Three Indian nationals were abducted from a cement factory in Mali on Tuesday, July 1, the same day an al-Qaeda-affiliated group launched coordinated attacks on military and government installations across several towns in the West African country.

According to a press release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the kidnapping took place on July 1 when armed assailants attacked the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes, in western Mali. The three Indians, employed at the factory, were taken hostage during the raid.

The Indian government stated it was “deeply concerned” over the development and was in constant contact with both Malian authorities and the company’s management. The Indian Embassy in Bamako is also in touch with the family members of those abducted.

“The Government of India unequivocally condemns this deplorable act of violence and 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 in its statement.

It added that senior MEA officials were “closely monitoring the evolving situation and remain engaged at various levels to facilitate safe and early release of Indian Nationals”.

All Indian citizens currently residing in Mali have been advised to “exercise utmost caution, remain vigilant, and stay in close contact with the Embassy of India in Bamako for regular updates and necessary assistance.”

According to BBC News, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a group aligned with al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks in multiple towns and asserted that it had taken control of three army barracks.

The Malian army said it had repelled the July 1 attacks, claiming to have “neutralised” more than 80 militants, though it did not provide information on other casualties. 

Earlier, the military said assaults had occurred in at least seven towns and cities, including Binoli, Kayes, and Sandere, near the Senegal border, as well as further north near the frontier with Mauritania, as per the news report.

JNIM has also claimed responsibility for two significant earlier attacks. On June 2, militants targeted both an army camp and the airport in the historic northern city of Timbuktu. A day before that, a separate raid killed at least 30 soldiers in central Mali, AFP reported.

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