PARIS, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- France's defense minister says every effort is being made to track down the Islamic militants holding five French nationals and two others hostage.
The seven, who work for French uranium mining firms in Niger, were abducted last week and are believed to be held in northern Mali, Radio France Internationale reported.
A group identifying itself as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and said it would transmit its demands to the French government later.
A spokesman for the group warned France not to do anything stupid in an audio tape given to al-Jazeera.
French Defense Minister Herve Morin said military aircraft are scouring the Sahara in search of clues.
Al-Qaida in the Maghreb grew out of a radical Algerian group that wanted the Algerian government to institute Islamic rule and align itself with Osama bin Laden.
UPI
