Austrian woman kidnapped in Niger, say sources

An Austrian woman was kidnapped in the desert town of Agadez in central Niger on Saturday, two Nigerien security sources said.

One of the sources said the woman was bundled into a 4x4 by unknown assailants in the Fada district of Agadez, which lies on the edge of the Sahara desert.

Austria's European and international affairs ministry said on Sunday its embassy responsible for Niger had been informed about the possible kidnapping.

The embassy is in contact with partner countries and the EU delegation as well as regional authorities on the ground, it added.

Niger's interior ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Niger, like its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, is battling groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. The fighting has killed thousands and displaced millions across West Africa's central Sahel region over the past decade.