NEFA Foundation: AQIM Claims "Battle of Zerouate" in Mauritania
By Evan Kohlmann
The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new statement from Al-Qaida’s Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claiming responsibility for a September 14, 2008 attack on a local military convoy in the Mauritanian region of Zerouate. According to the statement, “this attack was carried out to avenge the oppressed prisoners in the Mauritanian jails… This battle has been executed as a clear message to the governing military regime: your sins against the nation in general and against the Muslim youth in particular will not pass without punishment.” The AQIM also cautioned its supporters concerning false communiqués broadcast by various news agencies, naming the “Al-Fajr Media Center” as the only authorized, legitimate source for official statements from the group.
A translation of the statement can be accessed on the NEFA Foundation website.