**A French man and his Algeria driver have reportedly kidnapped in Niger, where al-Qaeda’s North African branch are known to operate.**Security sources say the pair were kidnapped in the Sahara Desert, near the border with Algeria.
The reported kidnapping has not been officially confirmed.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has kidnapped several Westerners in recent months in the Sahara - last week two Italians were freed after four months.
A military source told Reuters news agency the kidnapping took place near Tiguidan Tessoun, which is equidistant from the borders with Algeria and Mali.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb emerged in early 2007, after a feared militant group, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), aligned itself with Osama Bin Laden’s international network.
It has waged a campaign of suicide bomb attacks and ambushes in Algeria, and in recent years has become more active in the Sahara.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
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