Two Chinese nationals have been abducted during a coordinated attack in the city of Agadez, Niger Republic by suspected ISIS Sahel militants.

Two Nigerien security personnel from the Garde Nationale du Niger, GNN, were killed in the assault.

Zagazola Makama, a Lake Chad Basin counter terrorism and insurgency expert, made this known in a post on his X account on Monday.

Makama said the victims were identified as employees of China National Petroleum Corporation, CNPC.

The security expert stated that the incident marks the latest in a series of escalating abductions and killings linked to the extremist group, which has intensified its grip on the region.

“The targeting of foreign nationals by ISIS SAHEL, as seen in the kidnapping of the Chinese expatriates, underscores the growing threat posed by the extremist group.

“Previous abductions, including those of high-profile individuals such as former petroleum minister Barke Moustapha and Spanish tourists in southern Algeria, are believed to be part of a larger plot to generate high ransom demands or secure the release of detained ISIS members.

“The situation in Niger is alarming not only for its human cost but for its potential to destabilize the region further,” Makama wrote.