Five Indian nationals were kidnapped by armed gunmen on Thursday near Kobri in western Mali, according to a security source and the victims’ employer, marking the latest incident in a surge of jihadist violence plaguing the West African nation. The individuals, employed by a company executing electrification projects, were taken while working in a region increasingly dominated by insurgents affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. No group has claimed responsibility, but the abduction aligns with patterns of targeted operations against foreign personnel in areas under militant influence.

The company confirmed the incident and stated that all remaining Indian staff have been relocated to Bamako for security. “We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals,” a company representative said, underscoring the immediate evacuation measures. Mali’s military-led government, in power since successive coups in 2020 and 2021, has struggled to restore order amid a deteriorating security environment. The absence of a ransom demand or public claim suggests the operation may have been orchestrated by the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which has intensified attacks on infrastructure and economic targets.

Mali has been in the grip of a multifaceted crisis since 2012, when a Tuareg rebellion and jihadist insurgency fractured national control over the north. The subsequent proliferation of armed groups, including JNIM and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, has resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread displacement. The junta’s reliance on Russian private military contractors following the withdrawal of French forces has failed to stem the advance of insurgents, who now control significant rural territories. Kidnappings of foreigners have become a primary revenue stream for these groups, funding weapons procurement and territorial expansion.

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JNIM’s ongoing blockade of fuel supplies to Bamako has exacerbated the humanitarian and economic emergency, driving inflation and triggering protests in the capital. The group’s interdiction of transport convoys has severely restricted access to essential goods, weakening public confidence in the government. This strategic campaign reflects a broader shift toward economic warfare, aimed at undermining state authority and expanding militant governance in peripheral regions. The abduction of the Indian workers occurs against this backdrop of systemic collapse and rising operational sophistication among jihadist factions.

The incident follows the recent release of two Emirati nationals and an Iranian citizen kidnapped near Bamako in September, reportedly in exchange for a ransom exceeding $50 million. Such high-value transactions highlight the financial incentives driving hostage-taking operations and the challenges facing international efforts to secure the release of captives. As diplomatic channels activate between New Delhi and Bamako, the fate of the five Indian nationals remains uncertain, underscoring the persistent threat posed by unchecked jihadist networks in the Sahel.

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