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Al-Qaeda suspected of kidnapping aid workers in Mauritania

by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) on Dec 1st 2009 at 1:30PM

The Spanish government fears that three Spanish aid workers kidnapped this week in Mauritania were taken by Al-Qaeda's North African group.

The three were taken by masked gunmen from their vehicle as it was driving in a caravan to deliver aid for the group Barcelona-Acciò Solidaria en Mauritania. They were riding in the last vehicle and were apparently stopped when the gunmen fired some shots. There is no information about whether anyone was injured. The caravan was driving on a road between the capital Nouakchott to the city of Nouadhibou, shown here.

While no group has claimed responsibility, the Spanish government suspects Al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb, which recently kidnapped a French aid worker in Mali. In Mauritania they claimed responsibility for killing an American teacher in June. The spate of attacks and kidnappings are making travel in several Saharan nations increasingly dangerous.

Filed under: Africa, Mauritania, News

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