Mauritanian army foiled an attack from Al Qaeda to kill President
Font size:
ennahar
NOUAKCHOTT - The Mauritanian army foiled an assassination attempt Wednesday in Nouakchott against Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and claimed by Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
- Around 2:00 (GMT), the army blew up a car packed with explosives at 12 km south of Nouakchott, killing all three occupants who were there, according to a military source who said they tried "to infiltrate into the capital to carry out attacks."
Nine soldiers, who were about 300 yards from the huge explosion heard in several neighborhoods of the capital, were injured by flying debris.
AQIM has quickly claimed an assassination attempt, saying through the private agency information online Nouakchott (ANI) that it "was intended to assassinate" the Head of State Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
A spokesman for the organization, who contacted the ANI from northern Mali, has also said that contrary to the Mauritanian version, there were only two occupants in the vehicle and it is they who took the initiative to explode at the approach of the military.
Ould Abdel Aziz has visited wounded soldiers, all part of the presidential guard battalion.
The vehicle involved was one of three sought since Saturday by the Mauritanian army who was on alert after receiving information on their entry into Mauritania from Nema region (southeast), near the border with Mali.
Ennaharonline/ M. O.
article views:2171
Add to:
Email to a friend
Print version
Plain textRate this article
Comments (0 posted):
Post your comment