2008 Nouakchott Israeli embassy attack
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2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania | |
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Part of Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) | |
Site of the attack | |
Coordinates | 18°06′08.4″N 15°58′34.1″W / 18.102333°N 15.976139°W |
Date | 1 February 2008 2:20 a.m. (GMT) |
Target | Embassy of Israel |
Attack type | Terrorist attack |
Weapons | |
Deaths | 0 |
Injured | 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
- 2007 killing of French tourists in Mauritania
- 2005 El Mrieti base attack
- Israel–Mauritania relations
- History of the Jews in Mauritania
References
- ^ "Mauritania: An Embassy Attack and Al Qaeda". Stratfor. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
- ^ a b "Israeli Embassy attacked by gunmen in Mauritania". The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
- ^ "8 suspects arrested in Israeli Embassy attack in Mauritania". haaretz.com. 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
- ^ Flynn, Daniel (2008-02-01). "Gunmen attack Israel embassy in Mauritania". U.S. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
- ^ VOA (2009-10-27). "Gunmen Attack Israeli Embassy in Mauritania". VOA. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
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