BEIJING -- Nine Chinese oil workers are missing after being attacked by an armed group in Nigeria on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu confirmed Friday.

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A Chinese oil company compound was attacked by an unidentified group in southern Nigeria on Thursday. Nine workers were missing and the others had been removed to a safe place, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry.

Officials were still verifying the identities of the missing workers so as to ensure their safe return, it said.