Indian Workers Under Fire In Niger: Rising Jihadist Threat Raises Alarm

The recent attack on Indian miners shows how vulnerable Indians working in Niger are. On July 15, the Indian mission in Niger posted that “One Indian national was killed, another abducted, and a third remains unaccounted for. The embassy is in contact with all concerned and extending all assistance in early repatriation of mortal remains and early release of abductees.”

Local media reports state an armed group attacked an army unit at a construction site in Dosso, which is located 130 km from the country’s capital. According to these reports, two Indians who are believed to be from Jharkhand have died, while a third national, Ranjeet Singh, from Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, was abducted by the gunmen. This is not the first time Indian nationals have been targeted by terror groups in Niger this year.

In a heinous terror attack on 15 July in Niger’s Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted.

Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

Mission in Niamey is in touch with local authorities to repatriate mortal remains and ensure…

— India in Niger (@IndiainNiger) July 18, 2025

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About Other Cases

In April, five Jharkhand migrants were abducted along with other nationals by armed gunmen. Speaking then to a national daily, P Jaganmohan, senior vice-president of Kalpataru Projects International Limited, (KPIL), who oversees the company’s operations in West Africa, said that “nothing like this has happened before in the three years the company had worked in the country.”

Union Minister Jitendra Singh's Tweet

In the current case, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the government was pursuing all options to bring back the abducted Indian national. Posting on X, the minister wrote: “In response to continuous follow-up by my office, the Ministry of External Affairs has sent the following response based on the inputs received from the Indian Embassy in Niamey, Niger. The Indian embassy in Niamey is continuously on the job and trying to get Ranjit Singh released from the alleged kidnappers.”

Important update and followup on Mr Ranjit Singh, hailing from district #Ramban in J&K, who has gone missing in Niger.

In response to continuous follow- up by my office, the Ministry of External Affairs has sent the following response based on the inputs received from the… pic.twitter.com/eItPbAWlQE

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) July 21, 2025

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While the government assures that it is doing all it can, Africa experts believe the current situation in the country makes things challenging. Niger had a military coup in 2023, and since then, the government threw out French and American troops who are fighting jihadist forces comprising Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram. All of these groups have been attacking government security forces for some time now and carrying out abductions of Nigerien nationals for ransom.

Experts from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a non-profit organization registered in the United States, believe that Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), the African wing of the IS, is primarily responsible for most of the kidnappings. They add that the group, which is expanding its footprint in the Sahel region, is increasingly targeting foreigners.

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ACLED's Senior West Africa Analyst Héni Nsaibia's Statement

Commenting on the group’s activities, ACLED's Senior West Africa Analyst, Héni Nsaibia, wrote: “It seems that ISSP is rewarding armed groups for kidnapping foreigners who command higher ransom fees than local abductees. This comes as ISSP expands the territory it controls and wields greater influence across the region.”

Former Ambassador Gurjit Singh's Statement

So where does the abduction of Indian migrants fit in? Former Ambassador Gurjit Singh who is an African expert says the terror groups identify Indians as working with the company and points out that the terror groups are aware that Indians were working for an Indian company. “The groups want money and they believe that those working for an Indian company are more likely to give it to them than Indians working for a foreign company,” said Singh.

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Asked on the government’s options here, Singh said the government would be seeking out and speaking with the various clans within the groups. Negotiation with clans is a tricky business, but Anil Trigunayat, former Indian ambassador to Libya, says the ambassador is briefed beforehand to take-on-the-ground decisions. “In Libya, where there are multiple militia groups, I constantly had to keep track of who was siding with whom. This became important when we had to evacuate 140 Indians from Bani Walid, which was Gaddafi’s hometown. I rushed to the then Libyan Chief of Army Staff, General Mangoush, who said that he had little control over the militia there. I then had to contact the various militia, many of whom were local leaders to persuade them to let the Indians go.”

While Niger is not Libya, Africa experts believe a similar modus operandi would be employed here to rescue the kidnapped Indian worker. How well it works out remains to be seen.