The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said it was deeply concerned about three Indians having been abducted in Mali amid a series of terrorist attacks in the country.

The three Indian men, who were working at the Diamond Cement Factory in the city of Kayes, were taken hostage during a coordinated assault on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said.

On July 1, militants in the west African country carried out a series of simultaneous attacks on military posts, the BBC reported. The Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, a group linked to the Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Mali’s army said it had repelled the attacks and killed over 80 militants. However, the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin claimed it had taken control of three barracks, according to the BBC.

India’s foreign ministry said its embassy in Bamako, the capital of Mali, was in contact with local authorities, the management of the Diamond Cement Factory and the family members of those who have been abducted.

“The Government of India unequivocally condemns this deplorable act of violence and calls upon the Government of the Republic of Mali to take all necessary measures to secure the safe and expeditious release of the abducted Indian nationals,” the foreign ministry said.

The ministry urged Indians in Mali to remain vigilant and stay in close contact with the Embassy of India in Bamako.

Mali, which has been under military rule since 2020, has witnessed violence by insurgent groups linked to the Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for over a decade.

The coordinated assault on July 1 bore similarities to other similar attacks by militants on military facilities in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso, Reuters reported.