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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.