The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that a Spanish citizen has been kidnapped in North Africa, without providing further details. According to the Spanish newspaper “El País”, the man was reportedly abducted by an Islamist group in southern Algeria and later transferred to Mali, though the ministry has not yet confirmed this information.
A spokesperson for the ministry stated: “Reliable sources have confirmed that a Spanish citizen is currently being held against their will in North Africa. The government is actively working to clarify the situation and resolve this issue.”
“El País” reported that the kidnapping occurred on Wednesday in southern Algeria, where the kidnappers allegedly released the victim’s companions and took him as a hostage to Mali.
The Algerian authorities have not disclosed the identity of the kidnapped individual, who is described by the newspaper as a man over 60 years old.
The Spanish government is investigating the incident, which is believed to have been carried out by the “ISIS” affiliate in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), based on local reports deemed credible by Spanish experts.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged its citizens to exercise extreme caution when traveling in Algeria, travel in groups, and inform the Spanish embassy of their travel plans.
Source: Reuters
