Bhubaneswar, July 5: A 28-year-old youth from Odisha is among three Indian nationals abducted by a terror outfit linked to Al-Qaeda in the West African nation of Mali on July 1.
The abducted youth has been identified as P. Venkataraman, a resident of Samarajhola village in Hinjilicut of Ganjam district.
Venkataraman was employed by the private firm 'Blue Star' and had been working in Mali for the past six months. He was assigned to the West African country to collaborate with Diamond Cement Company, which operates a major plant in western Mali.
According to initial reports, he had been in regular contact with his family. Recently, his mother received a call from the company informing her of Venkataraman's arrest.
Later, the family learned that he had been kidnapped by terror groups. Following this, they filed an FIR regarding the incident at the local police station.
As per reports, heavily armed terrorists associated with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group, carried out a brutal attack on the Diamond Cement factory on July 1.
After the attack, militants abducted three Indian workers, including Venkataraman. The identities of the other two abducted Indians have not yet been officially confirmed.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed deep concern over the abduction and described it as a "deplorable act of violence."
An MEA spokesperson stated, “All efforts are being made through diplomatic and security channels to ensure the safe release of the abducted nationals.”
The Ministry has also urged the Malian government to take swift and decisive action to locate the perpetrators and rescue the hostages.
