Militants (file photo)

Gunmen have abducted four humanitarian aid workers in central Mali, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday.

The Malian nationals, who work for the ICRC and the Malian Red Cross, were abducted in the village of Tenenkou in the central Mopti region on Sunday evening, ICRC spokesman, Germain Mwehu said.

“Our colleagues were in the process of assessing the humanitarian situation of the area when unidentified, armed individuals forced them to follow them,’’ Mwehu said.

Members of religious orders or aid organisations are regularly abducted by militants or extremists in Mali and other parts of West Africa, usually in the hope of ransom. (dpa/NAN)