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| Gunmen kidnap US aid worker and kill his guards in Niger | Gunmen kidnap US aid worker and kill his guards in Niger |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Gunmen raided the house of a US aid worker in central Niger overnight, killing his two guards and kidnapping him, the mayor of the town said. | Gunmen raided the house of a US aid worker in central Niger overnight, killing his two guards and kidnapping him, the mayor of the town said. |
| The kidnappers reportedly drove the unnamed US citizen across the desert towards Mali. | The kidnappers reportedly drove the unnamed US citizen across the desert towards Mali. |
| “First they came on a motorbike and killed the guards,” Ahmed Dilo, the mayor of Abalak, told Reuters by telephone. “Then a 4x4 came and took him away and drove towards the Mali border.” | |
| Residents reported hearing gunfire near the aid worker’s house, where he had been living for years. | |
| Mr Dilo said a Nigerian soldier was among the guards killed. | Mr Dilo said a Nigerian soldier was among the guards killed. |
| Kidnappings of foreigners in Niger are rarer than in neighbour Mali, where Islamist militants are active and often seize hostages for ransom or political capital. | Kidnappings of foreigners in Niger are rarer than in neighbour Mali, where Islamist militants are active and often seize hostages for ransom or political capital. |
| The militants and allied criminal gangs have long exploited the largely unpoliced desert spaces of the Sahara and attacks have increased this year as security worsens in Mali. | The militants and allied criminal gangs have long exploited the largely unpoliced desert spaces of the Sahara and attacks have increased this year as security worsens in Mali. |
| No US citizen has been kidnapped in Niger before, although in 2009 suspected Islamists attempted to abduct US embassy personnel from a hotel in the town of Tahoua. | No US citizen has been kidnapped in Niger before, although in 2009 suspected Islamists attempted to abduct US embassy personnel from a hotel in the town of Tahoua. |
| A US embassy spokeswoman said there was an investigation into the incident but could not confirm any additional details. | A US embassy spokeswoman said there was an investigation into the incident but could not confirm any additional details. |
| Niger security forces did not immediately comment. | Niger security forces did not immediately comment. |
| Additional reporting by Reuters | Additional reporting by Reuters |