By News Express on 14/01/2018
Views: 471
•Islamic State terrorists
The leader of Islamic State’s affiliate in West Africa has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed four United States special forces and four soldiers from Niger Republic in October, Mauritania’s independent Nouakchott News Agency (ANI) reported on Saturday.
The troops were killed when their joint patrol was attacked near the village of Tongo Tongo, on the Mali-Niger border, on October 4 by dozens of militants armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
The incident drew attention to the little-known US military presence in Niger Republic – it has 800 troops stationed there – and became a major publicity headache for President Donald Trump’s administration.
Security officials had identified the perpetrators as Islamist militants loyal to Abu Adnan al-Sahrawi, the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara operating along Mali’s border with Niger and Burkina Faso, but there had previously been no confirmation from al-Sahrawi himself.
“We claim the attack which targeted the American commandos in the village of Tongo Tongo,” Sahrawi, who makes public statements only very rarely, was quoted by ANI as saying.
Privately-owned ANI sometimes enjoys privileged access to information on movements of Sahara-based Islamist fighters. Last year it broke news that Mali’s main jihadist groups had merged, and in 2013 it had exclusive reports about a militant attack on a gas plant in Algeria in which 38 hostages were killed.
In the statement Sahrawi also claimed a car bomb attack on French troops on Thursday near Mali’s city of Menaka, ANI reported. He said it had “killed many of them”, although the French military said in a statement that the attack had merely wounded three troops.
Lawlessness across the Sahara has enabled jihadist groups to thrive and launch increasingly deadly attacks on local and Western targets there and in the semi-arid Sahel south of it. They are seen as the biggest threat to the region’s stability. (Reuters)
Source News Express
Posted 14/01/2018 12:37:27 AM
CLASSIFIED ADS
You may also like...
Oil tanker with 22 Indian crewmen missing off...
How courts paved the way for Jimoh Ibrahim’s...
Save Adamawa State Movement warns banks, points out...
Abuja indigenes demand state, governor
_150x150.jpg)
How I will build new Abia —Governor Ikpeazu...
Ikoyi $43m cover-up will extinguish flame of anti-corruption...
More than half of children in 5 northern...
Olonisakin tasks Army on contemporary counter-terrorism strategies
Saraki advocates priority attention for human capital development...
__150x150.jpg)
APC governors move to tackle incessant herdsmen attacks...
Presidency rebukes The Sun for linking Buhari to...
Akwa Ibom Govt., Bank of Industry dangle N5b...
BREAKING NEWS: Senate calls for Buhari’s impeachment
APC shifts congresses, National Convention
Big Brother Naija sponsor, Payporte, in N23m debt mess, begs court to dismiss winding up suit
Democracy under threat: Southern, Middle Belt leaders
IGP Ibrahim Idris disrespecting me and the Senate — Saraki
Shell profits jump as oil prices soar
Troops nab militias in Nasarawa, recover arms
Abnormal herdsmen behind Benue killings — Presidency
Umahi orders arrest of policeman over alleged killing of Okada rider
INVESTIGATION: Former DG NEMA, Sidi Ali, maintained 20 bank accounts — Reps
Revenue discrepancies: FAAC meeting fails to hold again
2019: Senator Abe joins Rivers guber race
Nigerian female sex addict opens up, says ‘I like it with both men and women’ (340,154 views)
NUDE PHOTO OF OMOTOLA JALADE-EKEINDE surfaces online (335,254 views)
Shameless Genevieve Nnaji exposes breasts in public (268,213 views)
Finally named: The full list of friends of Nigerian female sex addict who prowled Facebook (220,559 views)
Igbo scholar disgraces Femi Fani-Kayode •Demolishes claims on Igbo/Yoruba history with facts and figures (202,354 views)
OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU (the one who called himself God) IS DEAD (198,445 views)
Breaking News: POPULAR REVEREND CONVERTS TO ISLAM in Kaduna (Nigeria) (173,170 views)
OBJ’s son reported dead in Lagos plane crash •Names of more victims emerge (155,527 views)
THE FINAL DISGRACE: Igbo scholar unleashes more facts about Igbo/Yoruba history, finishes off Femi Fani-Kayode with second article (147,332 views)
My wasted years in Olumba Olumba Obu’s Evil Brotherhood (139,327 views)
Lagos plane crash: Journalist releases victims’ names (137,123 views)
Gunmen kill ASP, 2 other police officers in vain bid to kidnap Rivers PDP chieftain (129,789 views)
