Killed the two French hostages kidnapped on Friday by Al Qaeda cells

Niamey - were killed two French hostages kidnapped in Niger on Friday night and held hostage near the border with Mali. According to what the security forces of Niamey the two French nationals were kidnapped last night in the capital of Niger, by armed men with their faces covered with a turban at a restaurant in the city center.

The seizure took place in the restaurant Le Toulousain in the residential district of Plateau, in Niamey. An employee of the restaurant said that two armed men broke into the restaurant full of customers and forced the French to follow them, taking them away with a jeep with license plate of Benin, where there were other gunmen.

The French have tried to resist but were forcibly loaded on board the 4x4. The abduction was also confirmed by President Nicolas Sarkzoy, who is on a visit to Martinique, French Caribbean. "It seems that the National Guard is looking for the terrorists to the border with Mali," said Sarkozy.

"The operations are still ongoing." The kidnappers of two French nationals were seized yesterday in fact been located near the security forces of Mali, Niger. The Niger government spokesman, Dan Dah had explained that there had been "short firefights with them. But our forces were unwilling to press for fear of hurting the hostages and put their lives in danger." "Our men have been close to them - he said - we have them surrounded." A few hours later was heard a shot fired by gunfire between security forces and kidnappers near Ouallam, near the border with Mali 160 km northeast of Niamey.

Today, however, came the confirmation of death. Over the past two to three years, as well as rebels and bandits in Niger and neighboring Mali act cells of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqmi), who have kidnapped several foreign nationals. In the hands dell'Aqmi since last September are seven hostages, five French, a Togolese and a Malagasy, kidnapped in Niger and currently held in Mali.

• "New US Military Centre Oversees Special Operations Targeting Militants" and related posts (07/01/2011)
• 'Control' order on envoy for al-Qaeda (08/01/2011)
• Al-Qaeda plotting UK terror campaign (08/01/2011)
• UK warns aviation industry of possible al Qaeda attack (07/01/2011)
• Morocco breaks up al Qaeda terror cell (06/01/2011)

Al-Qaeda (wikipedia)