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Niger suicide bombers target Areva mine and barracks | Niger suicide bombers target Areva mine and barracks |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Suicide bombers have struck a military camp and a French-run uranium mine in two towns in north-west Niger. | Suicide bombers have struck a military camp and a French-run uranium mine in two towns in north-west Niger. |
A bomb at a barracks in Agadez killed 19, including 18 soldiers. Four attackers died. A fifth held out but officials said he too was overpowered. | |
The attack on the Somair mine, in the town of Arlit, killed one person and injured 14, its operator Areva said. | The attack on the Somair mine, in the town of Arlit, killed one person and injured 14, its operator Areva said. |
Reports say militant leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar was behind the attacks, but these cannot be verified. | |
The Mauritanian news agency Alakhbar quoted a spokesman for his group as saying: "It was Belmokhtar who himself supervised the operational plans of attacks." | |
The claims also appeared on a jihadist forum, AP news agency reported. | |
Earlier, the jihadist Mujao group had said it had carried out the two attacks. | |
Mujao spokesman Abu Walid Sahraoui said the operations targeted "the enemies of Islam in Niger", according to AFP. | |
"We attacked France, and Niger because of its co-operation with France, in the war against Sharia," he added, thought to be a reference to French and Nigerien involvement in combating Islamists in neighbouring Mali. | "We attacked France, and Niger because of its co-operation with France, in the war against Sharia," he added, thought to be a reference to French and Nigerien involvement in combating Islamists in neighbouring Mali. |
French President Francois Hollande vowed to protect his nation's interests and co-operate with Niger in its "fight against terrorism". | French President Francois Hollande vowed to protect his nation's interests and co-operate with Niger in its "fight against terrorism". |
Army patrols | |
Both attacks were carried out as people prepared for early morning prayers just after 05:00 local time (04:00 GMT), BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy reports. | |
He says the army is patrolling in and around Agadez following the attack. | He says the army is patrolling in and around Agadez following the attack. |
Niger's Defence Minister Mahamadou Karidjo said insurgents had driven a car bomb into the military base there. Around two dozen people were wounded in the blast, including civilians. | Niger's Defence Minister Mahamadou Karidjo said insurgents had driven a car bomb into the military base there. Around two dozen people were wounded in the blast, including civilians. |
He said the government had declared three days of mourning. | |
Earlier reports said one Islamist fighter had held out inside the barracks and was believed to be holding several military cadets hostage. | Earlier reports said one Islamist fighter had held out inside the barracks and was believed to be holding several military cadets hostage. |
However, a senior military official told Reuters that the fighter was finally "neutralised" and hadn't had any hostages. | However, a senior military official told Reuters that the fighter was finally "neutralised" and hadn't had any hostages. |
Mr Karidjo also denied that any hostages had been taken. | Mr Karidjo also denied that any hostages had been taken. |
It was not clear if the fifth militant had been captured alive. | It was not clear if the fifth militant had been captured alive. |
Further north in Arlit, a suicide bomber blew up a car close to workers at the mine operated by French nuclear company Areva. | Further north in Arlit, a suicide bomber blew up a car close to workers at the mine operated by French nuclear company Areva. |
It said one person had been killed and 14 were being treated in hospital. | It said one person had been killed and 14 were being treated in hospital. |
Niger's Interior Minister Abdou Labo put the number of wounded at the site at about 50. | Niger's Interior Minister Abdou Labo put the number of wounded at the site at about 50. |
Areva said operations at the mine had been "temporarily suspended" and a team will visit the site to assess the damage. | Areva said operations at the mine had been "temporarily suspended" and a team will visit the site to assess the damage. |
Mokhtar Belmokhtar was believed to be behind the deadly attack on an internationally-run Algerian gas plant in January in which 37 hostages and 29 insurgents were killed. | |
He broke away from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) last year and formed a new jihadist group, known variously as the Signed-in-Blood Battalion, the Masked Men Brigade and the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade. | |
Armed forces in Chad said he died in a raid in northern Mali on 2 March, although there was no confirmation and his death has been declared many times before. | |
Security was stepped up at Areva's Arlit operation - one of the country's biggest uranium mines - in February. Niger provides one-fifth of France's uranium needs, according to French media. | Security was stepped up at Areva's Arlit operation - one of the country's biggest uranium mines - in February. Niger provides one-fifth of France's uranium needs, according to French media. |
Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said French special forces had moved in to protect the site after January's attack in Algeria. | |
Seven workers, including five French nationals, were kidnapped from the Arlit mine by Islamist militants in 2010. | Seven workers, including five French nationals, were kidnapped from the Arlit mine by Islamist militants in 2010. |
Four of them are still being held and it is believed they could be in northern Mali, close to where French troops were sent to oust al-Qaeda-linked militants in January. | Four of them are still being held and it is believed they could be in northern Mali, close to where French troops were sent to oust al-Qaeda-linked militants in January. |
Mujao (the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa) is a splinter group of AQIM which operates mostly in northern Mali. | |
It says its objective is to spread jihad to West Africa rather than confine itself to the Sahel and Maghreb regions - the main focus of AQIM. | It says its objective is to spread jihad to West Africa rather than confine itself to the Sahel and Maghreb regions - the main focus of AQIM. |