Photo taken on Aug. 21, 2020, shows normal traffic after Mali reopened land and air borders in Bamako, capital of Mali. Photo:Xinhua

The Chinese Embassy in Mali warned Chinese citizens and enterprises in the country to be on the alert as three Chinese nationals were kidnapped in a latest attack in war-torn southwest Mali on Saturday. 

The notice and the kidnap, which came three days after the bus blast in Pakistan that killed nine Chinese nationals on July 14, put further spotlight on the security situation of Chinese nationals and enterprises in foreign countries.  

The Chinese Embassy in Mali said in a notice on Saturday that as Eid al-Adha Day approaches, the security situation in Mali has become more complicated. Robberies and attacks are frequent in border areas especially those with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Chinese citizens and enterprises in Mali should enhance their safety awareness, strictly abide by local laws, regulations and customs and ensure personal and property safety, the embassy said. 

The embassy statement did not specifically mention the attack. 

The AFP reported that an attack occurred at a construction site and three Chinese nationals and two Mauritanians were kidnapped. 

The bus blast in Pakistan on July 14 was confirmed to be a terrorist attack, in which nine Chinese and four Pakistanis were killed. 

All the victims worked at the China-invested Dasu hydropower project. A joint team sent to investigate the attack has asked Pakistan to tighten up their security measures, to ensure the safety of all Chinese employees in the country.

Global Times