Mauritania: Military on alert for possible Al-Qaeda attack

Nouakchott, 7 July (AKI) - The military from Mauritanian and Mali have been put on alert for a possible attack by Al-Qaeda insurgents, according to a Thursday report by Arab-language satellite news channel Al-Jazeera.

The African countries' intelligence warned of an attack to avenge Tuesday's military offensive that killed 20 insurgents, according to the report. Another 10 militants were captured.

An Al-Qaeda source told Al-Jazeera that his group shot down a military helicopter and destroyed three vehicles during Tuesday's fighting near an army base in Bassiknou on the border with Mali.

The Mauritanian military has conducted a series of operations with the help of France to fight suspected terrorists. In July last year, France helped Mauritanian soldiers in a mission that killed six alleged militants near the Mali border.

North and West Africa are considered areas of high-risk from the threat of terrorist and organised crime networks.