An Austrian woman has been kidnapped by gunmen in Niger’s Agadez city, local residents and the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, the first time a European citizen is known to have been kidnapped in the conflict-hit West African nation since a military junta took power in 2023.

The Austrian foreign ministry says a female citizen has been taken by unknown assailants in the military-ran West African country, Niger. It confirmed the incident to AFP and said they were aware of the "possible kidnapping of an Austrian woman" in Agadez which is 900 km (559 miles) from the capital Niamey.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abduction of the development worker, who also faced kidnapping threats back in 2021. View on euronews

The 73-year-old has been active in Niger since 1996 with the private cultural association Amanay she founded and is well connected in Agadez on the edge of the Sahara, including with the authorities.

A kidnapping incident has occurred in Niger's Agadez involving an Austrian woman, who was reportedly taken by unknown attackers. The Austrian Ministry has been informed and is coordinating with international partners and local authorities.

The Foreign Ministry in Vienna has confirmed that a woman has been kidnapped in the northern Niger city of Agadez. It is the first abduction of a European citizen in the West African country since the 2023 coup.