The man, identified as Kevin Rideout, was reportedly captured by an unknown group near the presidential palace in Niger on Tuesday

A US national with the evangelical Christian organization Serving in Mission (SIM) has been abducted in Niger's capital, Niamey, multiple outlets have reported, citing security and official sources.

The man, identified as Kevin Rideout, was kidnapped a few streets from the presidential palace on Tuesday night, according to Wamaps, a collective of journalists covering West Africa's security situation. Rideout has been in Niger since 2010, providing emergency humanitarian air transport as a pilot for the American charity, the group said on Wednesday.

"None of the terrorist groups operating in Nigerien territory have claimed responsibility for this kidnapping, and no ransom has been demanded," the group wrote on X on Wednesday.

Rideout was seized by three unidentified men as he headed to the airport in Plateau neighborhood, before the kidnappers moved toward the western Tillaberi region, an anonymous diplomat told Reuters.

The Tillaberi region, which borders Mali, is a stronghold for militants affiliated to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, who have waged a deadly insurgency across the Sahel for more than a decade.

Kidnappings of foreign nationals have increased in recent months in the former French colony, particularly in areas where jihadists operate. In April, Swiss national Claudia Abbt was reportedly abducted in Agadez in the Sahara Desert, following the abduction of Austrian national Eva Gretzmacher in the same city in January. Also in April, five Indian technicians were kidnapped during an ambush by terrorists near Tillaberi, and another was seized in the Dosso region in July, according to Wamaps. In February, two Chinese citizens were taken hostage when unidentified gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying staff from the Chinese state-owned oil major CNPC near the Agadem oil field in the southeastern region.

A US State Department spokesperson has told CBS that efforts are ongoing "across the US government to support the recovery and safe return" of the citizen kidnapped in Niger.

The US Embassy in Niameyissueda security alert on Wednesday warning that "American citizens remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city."

(RT.com)