BAMAKO, Mali, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross said it hasn't ruled anything out in speculating on the fate of its aid workers missing in Mali.
The ICRC said it was in contact with "all parties concerned" in the incident. The aid group said it "lost contact" Saturday with one of its vehicles traveling through northern Mali. Four ICRC staff members and a veterinary assistant were on board.
Christoph Luedi, head of the ICRC delegation in Mali, said in a statement the organization was "extremely worried" about their fate.
"We don't know yet in what circumstances contact was lost," he said Monday. "It's important not to speculate about what might have happened, although no possibility has been ruled out."
In January, the Jordanian government, serving as the rotating head of the U.N. Security Council, issued a three-page presidential statement expressing concern about the fragile security situation in the north of Mali. It said there were signs "that terrorists and other armed groups have reorganized themselves and regained some ability to operate.
Mali in January 2013 called in support from former colonial power France to help fight al-Qaida and nomadic rebels who took control over northern Mali following a 2012 coup.
