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Raid of the 'Barkhane' against the Al Mourabitoun group

(Credit: DICOD/EMA - archives)
(Credit: DICOD/EMA - archives)

(B2) The French forces of Operation Barkhane carried out an operation in the region of Ménaka, in Mali, against elements affiliated with the terrorist group "Al Mourabitoun", on the night of December 19 to 20, announced a press release from the State. - Major of the armies on Tuesday evening.

Violent fighting for several hours

« After fierce fighting that lasted nearly four hours, two pick-ups and a dozen motorcycles were seized. A dozen terrorists were neutralized ". Which indicates, in the language of communication, that they were killed or injured. " A significant amount of weapons and explosives were recovered adds the General Staff.

A murderous group

The Al Mourabitoun group is responsible " of several attacks” in Mali and Niger, “against local armed forces and international forces ". In particular, he claimed responsibility for the attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako on November 20 (read: European experts lent a hand after the Blu Radisson attack in Bamako). Al Mourabitoun was born from the merger of Mujao and "Signatories by blood", the movement created by Mokhtar Belmokhtar in December 2012, after his ousting from AQIM. The Signatories by Blood had claimed responsibility for the attack on the factory ofIn Amenas (Algeria).

(NGV)

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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