UPDATE - French national kidnapped in Chad

UPDATES BACKGROUND AND ADDS DETAILS

N’DJAMNENA, Chad (AA) – A French citizen has been abducted in Chad’s eastern city of Abeche, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

“We confirm the kidnapping of a French national in Chad. We are mobilized in connection with the Chadian authorities to secure the release of our compatriot,”​ the statement read.

According to a Chadian military source, the abducted individual worked for a French company. The identity of the kidnappers remains unknown.

French radio Europe 1, which cites a military source, said that the employee worked for a mining company and was about 60 years old.

No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

The latest abduction of a French national in Chad dates back to 2009. Laurent Meurice, a French agronomist, was kidnapped on Nov. 9 2009 by a Sudanese group called the Freedom Eagles of Africa, based in Darfur. He was released on Feb. 6 2010.

Chad and France cooperate in the fight against terror groups in the Sahel region. The headquarters of the French military operation Barkhane deployed in the region to track down terrorist groups is based in the capital N'Djamena.