American missionary kidnapped in Niger, sources say

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NIAMEY (Reuters) -An American missionary was kidnapped in Niger’s capital Niamey, three security sources said on Wednesday.

The missionary, who is a pilot for the evangelical missionary agency Serving in Mission, was seized by three unidentified men as he headed to the airport on Tuesday night in Niger’s Plateau neighbourhood, a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters.

The kidnappers then headed toward the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamist militants linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda are active, the diplomat added.

Two other sources for the abduction had no details.

The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was kidnapped in Niamey, Niger, and was working with local authorities. It did not elaborate.

Kidnappings appear to have intensified this year in areas of West Africa where militants operate, with an Austrian woman abducted in January and a Swiss citizen in April, both in Niger.

In addition, five Indian citizens working for a company providing services to Niger’s Kandadji dam project were kidnapped during an attack by armed men in April that also killed a dozen soldiers.

(Reporting by Niger newsroom, aditional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; editing by Ayen Deng Bior and Mark Heinrich)