SRINAGAR: A man from Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district has been identified as the Indian national abducted in a deadly terrorist attack in Niger’s Dosso region earlier this week, which also claimed the lives of two other Indian nationals.
In a heinous terror attack on 15 July in Niger’s Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted.
Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
Mission in Niamey is in touch with local authorities to repatriate mortal remains and ensure…
— India in Niger (@IndiainNiger) July 18, 2025
Sheela Devi, the wife of the abducted man, Ranjeet Singh, a senior safety officer with Transrail Lighting Limited, said the family lost contact with him on July 15. “We spoke on WhatsApp that day. Since then, there has been complete silence,” she said on Saturday. The family later learned through Singh’s friend that he had been kidnapped during a terror strike, though the company initially maintained he had fled into the forest after the assault.
The Indian Embassy in Niger confirmed the July 15 attack in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), noting that two Indian nationals were killed and one abducted in what it described as “a heinous terror attack” in the southwest region of Dosso.
Indian authorities are coordinating with local Nigerien officials to repatriate the bodies of the deceased and secure the safe release of Singh, who is believed to be in militant custody. Media reports from Niger indicated that the attack targeted a construction site guarded by the military, around 130 kilometres from the capital Niamey.
Among the two killed were Ganesh Karmali from Jharkhand’s Bokaro district and another worker believed to be from southern India.
Ranjeet Singh’s wife, Sheela Devi, expressed deep frustration over the lack of clarity and urgency from the employer. “I kept calling the company. First, they said the network was down. Later, they claimed he had run into the forest. But since then, they’ve gone silent. No one is telling us anything concrete,” said Devi, a mother of three.
She made a public appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene. “I don’t know what kind of situation my husband is in. I have no idea what the company or our government is doing. Please bring him back,” she said, fighting back tears.
The Ramban Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Alyas Khan, has assured the family of local support and has reportedly reached out to relevant authorities.
This latest attack comes amid a sharp rise in militant violence in Niger following a military coup in July 2023 that overthrew the elected government. Armed groups affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaida have stepped up attacks, particularly targeting foreigners. Several abductions have been reported this year, including those of an Austrian aid worker, a Swiss national, and five Indian workers in April.
With the security situation deteriorating, the Indian Embassy has urged all Indian nationals in Niger to exercise extreme caution.
