Terrorists target French embassy, military barrack in Mauritania

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - The terrorists involved in clashes with the army near Nouakchott in Mauritania overnight Wednesday targeted the French Embassy and a military barracks, the Minister of Defence, Hamadi Ould Hamadi, told a press conference here quoting confessions by one of the arrested terror suspects.

However, some private newspapers, citing sources close to the terrorist Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), claim that the attackers had wanted to attempt on the life of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, when he returned from Ethiopia, where he attended the 16th summit of the African Union (AU) which was held over the weekend.

According to the Minister of Defence, three people died in the overnight clashes.

Eight members of the Mauritanian army are said to have suffered minor injuries.
-0- PANA SAS/JSG/JEN/VAO 3Feb2011