Unidentified gunmen have abducted a French national in the northern Malian town of Menaka, said officials and local news reports on Thursday.
Though officials did not identify the abducted French national, they said the Frenchman was kidnapped on Wednesday night from his hotel in Menaka, which is located close to the border with Niger.
The man was reportedly conducting research into malaria in the province of Gao, when he was abducted. French embassy in the Malian capital of Bamako confirmed his kidnapping and said that its staff are trying to secure the release of the abducted man.
Though it is not clear who his abductors are, Malian officials suspect the involvement of militants belonging to al-Qaeda's North African branch, who are active in the region.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African wing of the global terror group, is believed to have established itself in the Sahara Desert between Algeria, Mali and Niger.
The three countries, which are under pressure from the U.S. and EU to tackle the Islamist militants, have jointly called for more international help in countering the activities of the group, which has claimed several recent attacks in the region.
Recently, the United States announced that it would provide Mali's army with millions of dollars worth of military equipments, including weapons, to help the country in its fight against al-Qaeda's North African branch.
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