Three Spanish tourists, including a woman, traveling from the capital Nouakchott to Nouadhibou in northwest Mauritania have been kidnapped.

The tourists, traveling in a car in the last vehicle of a convoy, were kidnapped by armed men in a 4X4 vehicle near the town of Chelkhett Legtouta, AFP quoted a source, who requested anonymity, as saying.

According to the source, the convoy had earlier delivered aid to Nouadhibou and was transporting donations and they intended to hand over a specific amount in every town along the route.

Several kidnappings have occurred in the region over the past few months, including the recent abduction of a French citizen in the northeast of neighboring Mali. The Frenchman was being held in the Sahara by al-Qaeda militants of the North Africa branch, a Malian source said.

Mauritanian authorities confirmed the incident and said they are searching for the kidnappers.

FTP/HGL