Five Indian nationals working on Niger’s Kandadji dam project were kidnapped last week during a violent attack by armed men near the village of Sakoira in the Tillaberi region, close to the tri-border area where Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali meet.
The assault, which left 12 Nigerien soldiers dead, highlights the growing insecurity in the Sahel region.
According to Indian state authorities, the victims were all from Jharkhand state and employed by an Indian company involved in the infrastructure project.
The Indian embassy in Niger is coordinating with local authorities to secure their release.
While the perpetrators of the kidnapping have not been officially identified, similar attacks in the area have previously been attributed to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), which Niger recently blamed for a mosque massacre that killed at least 44 civilians.
The incident is part of a broader wave of violence in the region, where Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso continue to battle jihadist insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.
Kidnappings have surged in recent months, with several foreign nationals abducted in Niger since January, underscoring the escalating threat to both local communities and international personnel.
