According to officials, India is coordinating with local authorities and international partners to ensure the safe return of the abducted individuals. Several countries have also issued travel advisories urging caution or evacuation due to the unpredictable security conditions in Mali.
Five Indian nationals were kidnapped on November 6 near Kobri in western Mali while working on an electrification project. The gunmen reportedly abducted them in an area facing escalating violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda. The Indian Embassy in Mali is working closely with Malian authorities and the concerned company to secure their safe and prompt release. “The Embassy is aware of the unfortunate incident of kidnapping of five of our nationals on 6 Nov 2025. The Embassy has been working closely with the authorities and the company concerned to secure their safe release as quickly as possible,” the Indian Embassy wrote on X
Mali is currently ruled by a military junta and is grappling with severe unrest, largely driven by jihadist violence from groups like Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam al-Muslimin (JNIM)—an Al-Qaeda affiliate. These groups have intensified attacks on highways, fuel convoys, and security forces, worsening the country’s instability and economic hardship. Kidnapping of foreigners has become a common tactic used by armed groups in the region, with earlier incidents targeting other Indian nationals and foreign workers, according to reports
So far as this incident is concerned, reportedly no group has publicly claimed responsibility.
According to officials, India is coordinating with local authorities and international partners to ensure the safe return of the abducted individuals. Several countries have also issued travel advisories urging caution or evacuation due to the unpredictable security conditions in Mali.
According to analysts, the terror threat in Mali mainly comes from JNIM which has grown to be the deadliest militant organization in West Africa. Formed in 2017 as a coalition of several extremist factions, JNIM seeks to overthrow the Malian government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law. The group operates through agile, mobile fighters who blend into local communities, using guerrilla tactics like ambushes, bombings, and assassinations.
JNIM has expanded its control by cutting off transport routes, especially targeting fuel supplies to the capital, Bamako. Since September 2025, it has imposed an economic siege on the capital by blocking important highways that bring fuel and goods from neighboring countries, leading to fuel shortages, power outages, and closures of schools and hospitals. The group also collects taxes, runs courts, and establishes alternative governance in areas under its influence, as per reports.
This strategy has significantly weakened the Malian military, which is more suited for conventional warfare and struggles, the analysts add.
