Mauritania: Al-Qaeda Attacks Army Base

6 July 2011
allAfrica.com

North African Al Qaeda fighters and Mauritanian military forces have again clashed this week, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 people, news agencies report.

Radio France Internationale says that the official Mauritanian news agency announced that Al Qaeda militants attacked a military base in the town of Bassiknou in the south-east, near the Mali border, on Tuesday. Agence France-Presse reports that Mauritanian forces launched a counter-attack, killing 20 fighters.

"The army riposte was strong and effective, causing 20 deaths among the assailants," AFP quoted an unnamed military source as saying. "Ten were taken prisoner and at least three vehicles were destroyed... A chase is under way with the support of military aircraft."

A hospital source told AFP that four Mauritanian soldiers were wounded at the military base.

The Al Qaeda assault follows a joint operation against the group by forces from Mauritania and Mali in late June. Mauritania claimed it "completely destroyed" an Al Qaeda camp in Mali during the operation.

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