5 Indian Workers Abducted in Deadly Attack Near Niger Dam Site

Five Indian nationals working on a dam project in western Niger have been kidnapped following a deadly attack by armed assailants that also left 12 soldiers dead, according to security sources and Indian state officials.

The incident occurred last week near the village of Sakoira in Niger’s Tillaberi region, part of the volatile tri-border zone shared with Burkina Faso and Mali. The abducted individuals were employees of an Indian firm contracted to provide services for the Kandadji dam project, two Nigerien security sources confirmed to Reuters.

Authorities in the Indian state of Jharkhand identified the victims as state residents, noting that the Indian embassy in Niger has engaged local authorities to help secure their release.

While the attackers have not been officially named, suspicion falls on militant groups operating in the region. Last month, Niger blamed the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) for a separate attack in the area that killed at least 44 civilians at a mosque.

The tri-border area has been the epicenter of a growing jihadist insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates since a 2012 rebellion in northern Mali. In recent months, kidnappings have surged across the region. Victims have included an Austrian woman in January, a Swiss national in April, and four Moroccan truck drivers near the Burkina Faso border earlier this year.

The Kandadji dam is a major infrastructure project aimed at improving energy and water access in Niger. Efforts are underway to ensure the safety of foreign workers amid heightened security threats.

No group has claimed responsibility for the recent abduction.