Two Emirati nationals and an Iranian were kidnapped this week in Mali near the capital by "armed men," AFP learned Thursday from local and security sources.

Mali, ruled by a junta, has been facing a profound security crisis since 2012, fueled in particular by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) organization, as well as community-based criminal groups. This crisis is compounded by a serious economic crisis.

No one had claimed responsibility for these kidnappings by the end of the day on Thursday.

"Two Emiratis and an Iranian national were kidnapped about fifty kilometers from Bamako by armed men," a local Malian official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The three were on an agricultural plantation owned by one of them," he added.

A local councilor in Sanankoroba, where the incident took place, said the owner of the property is an Emirati who has lived in the community "for more than 15 years."

"On the site, the attackers burned a lot of equipment, including several motorcycles," continued the local official, describing the disappearance as "terrifying."

The kidnappings were confirmed in a statement released by the authorities on Thursday morning, but they later denied the publication and made no official comment on the matter.

According to a security source, the two Emiratis "are from Dubai" and "searches are underway to secure their release."

These kidnappings come against a backdrop of a resurgence of jihadist attacks in Mali and a deterioration in the security situation outside Bamako.