New Delhi is coordinating with Malian authorities to ensure the safe return of five Indian nationals who were kidnapped by armed individuals in Mali last week, according to the Indian Embassy in Bamako. The abducted individuals were working for a company involved in electrification projects. They were taken by gunmen near Kobri, in western Mali, amid increasing unrest and jihadist violence in the region. The kidnapping occurred on Thursday, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the act. Currently governed by a military junta, Mali is facing challenges in managing escalating turmoil attributed to criminal organizations and jihadists associated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
