Niamey: An Indian national was killed and another abducted in what India’s embassy has described as a terrorist attack in the southwestern region of Niger. A third individual has been reported as missing, according to a statement released by the embassy.

According to Nam News Network, local sources reported that unidentified armed attackers ambushed a Nigerien army unit that was providing security at a construction site for an electrical line in the Dosso region, approximately 100 kilometers from the capital, Niamey. The Indian embassy in Niamey has urged Indian nationals in Niger to be vigilant and stated that it is in contact with the employer, families of the victims, and the Nigerian government to facilitate the repatriation of the deceased individual’s remains.

The Dosso region, which borders Nigeria and Benin, is frequently targeted by attacks on civilians, the army, and infrastructure, such as a major oil pipeline transporting crude from Niger to Benin. Authorities typically attribute these attacks to terrorists or bandits. Dosso also borders Tillaberi, a western town near the borders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which has become a stronghold for jihadist groups.

Official Indian sources have reported that five Indian technicians were kidnapped during an April 25 attack just north of the nearby town of Sakoira, resulting in the deaths of twelve Nigerien soldiers. Earlier this month, three Indian nationals working in Mali were kidnapped from a cement factory in the west of the country.