Al Qaeda camp in Mali under attack


BBC:

Mauritanian and Malian soldiers have raided an al-Qaeda camp in western Mali, defence sources said.

A Malian security source said there had been "fierce fighting" at the base in the Wagadou forest region on Friday, including the use of heavy weapons.

Wagadou, near Mauritania's border, is an area where al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) are known to operate.

Earlier this month, Mali and Mauritania agreed to lead a joint operation to tackle the al-Qaeda offshoot.

The attack took place at about 1745 local time (1745 GMT) on Friday and involved air strikes, according to a Mauritanian source cited by AFP news agency.

The source said the "terrorists" had struck back with "heavy weapons".

"The definitive toll on the enemy side will only be known at dawn but it will be heavy. The tents of the camp and three vehicles have been destroyed," the source said.

"We are in control of the situation and the zone has been secured."

...
It sounds like they will have to wait for daybreak to find out what they are in control of. My speculation is that they have isolated the camp, but have not yet cleared it for enemy troops.  The attack was evidently north of Bamako between the town and the border.

Al Qaeda in Mali has been a link in the drub trade from Venezuela and other parts of South America. The drugs are then smuggled into Europe through the North African countries. I am glad to see government authorities are trying to clean out their latest nest.

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