2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania

2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania
Part of Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
Site of the attack
2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania (Mauritania)
Site of the attack
Coordinates 18°06′08.4″N 15°58′34.1″W / 18.102333°N 15.976139°W / 18.102333; -15.976139Coordinates: 18°06′08.4″N 15°58′34.1″W / 18.102333°N 15.976139°W / 18.102333; -15.976139
Date 1 February 2008
2:20 a.m. (GMT)
Target Embassy of Israel
Attack type
 Terrorist attack
Weapons
Deaths 0
Non-fatal injuries
 3
Perpetrators Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
Motive Islamic extremism

On 1 February 2008, several unidentified gunmen attacked the Israeli embassy in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, in a gun and grenade attack. At 2:20 a.m. local time, between three and six gunmen dressed in turbans and robes approached the embassy building on foot after being dropped off by a car at a close by nightclub and opened fire, shouting "Allahu akbar." Mauritanian embassy guards posted at the embassy quickly returned fire. The ensuing gunfight injured three bystanders including a French national at the nearby nightclub. The attackers then escaped in a vehicle.[1][2]

The next day, Mauritanian authorities announced they had detained three suspects approximately 150 kilometers (93 m) from the capital. On 8 February, it was announced that eight people, including an Algerian national, had been arrested in connection to the attack.[3] In response to the attack, Israeli embassies worldwide were placed on a heightened security alert and an Israeli defense official was dispatched to Mauritania to evaluate the embassy's security.[4]

In a statement entitled "At your orders, Gaza," the extremist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack and personally threatened the Israeli ambassador.[2] The attack was the latest in a string of violence to impact the country, coming just after the murder of four French tourists, and an attack that killed in three Mauritanian troops in December 2007.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mauritania: An Embassy Attack and Al Qaeda". Stratfor. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  2. 1 2 "Israeli Embassy attacked by gunmen in Mauritania". The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  3. ↑ "8 suspects arrested in Israeli Embassy attack in Mauritania". haaretz.com. 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  4. ↑ Flynn, Daniel (2008-02-01). "Gunmen attack Israel embassy in Mauritania". U.S. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  5. ↑ VOA (2009-10-27). "Gunmen Attack Israeli Embassy in Mauritania". VOA. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
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