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<strong>After the deaths of nine of their compatriots in Pakistan in a bus blast, three Chinese nationals and two Mauritanians were kidnapped from a construction site in northern Mali.</strong></p>
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The abductions follow growing resentment against Chinese projects, many of which are part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)&mdash;Chinese President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s gargantuan prestige connectivity project.</p>
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Reuters is reporting that the kidnappings took place following a raid at a construction site, 55 kilometres from the town of Kwala, an army statement said.&nbsp;</p>
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The raid took place 55 kilometres from the town of Kwala.</p>
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<strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/pak-foreign-minister-rushing-to-beijing-to-defuse-china-pak-tensions-after-nine-chinese-engineers-are-killed-102684.html">Pak foreign minister rushing to Beijing to defuse China-Pak tensions after nine Chinese engineers are killed</a></strong></p>
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The abductions took place on Saturday, at site run by Covec&mdash;a Chinese construction firm and ATTM, a Mauritanian road-building company. The employees were protected by a private security firm.&nbsp;</p>
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The attackers also bolted with five pick-up trucks before setting the site ablaze. A crane, dump trucks and other equipment owned by the companies, were also destroyed during&nbsp; the raid.</p>
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No particular group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda have been consolidating their hold in Africa&mdash;a resource rich continent that can fuel the rise of a new Caliphate, run on extreme ideological principles. Analysts say that IS militants, squeezed out of Syria and Iraq (SyRaq) are now moving in droves into Africa, triggering a bitter power struggle between IS and local Jihadist groups, such as Boko Haram and Al Shabab.</p>
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According to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Security Council should authorise more troops for Mali&#39;s peacekeeping mission in response to growing&nbsp; violence by Islamist militants, according to a Reuters report.</p>
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