Sahel-Maghreb-coastal africa : news and discussions

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Dec 2015 12:47

nigerian forces massacre at place of worship, slay islamist leader and his family.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/nig ... sayniyyah/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Dec 2015 12:49

by now 100s of millions of dollars and gold from IS treasure chest must have been moved via libya into caches in the region...which is bigger than all of europe. people are having a hard time monitoring syria, this region is too big for even a coalition of powers to monitor let alone dominate.

we are set for a century of war across the desert sands , rock strewn mountains, desolate towns, ancient ruins and oases....

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 15 Dec 2015 19:52

Similar magnificent ruins can be found on gogol search on Palmyra. Very serious threat indeed.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 15 Dec 2015 21:13

Thanks Singha ji for opening this thread.

I have been following the Libya theater for some time now and it becomes a bit of a stretch when i had to club it with the Yemen war in West Asia thread. I believe this truly represents a new level of threat to global peace. A real scenario of IS vs NATO fight which the Iraq-Syria theater never posed. And an area of operation at least 10 times larger.

Even if we consider NATO unwilling to take down IS in Syria/Iraq, in Sahel, it is a different ball game. They cannot let IS win here as the European Oil companies from Italy, France, Netherlands and UK control huge amount of oil resources in Sahel. So unlike Syria, NATO and IS is on a collision course here. Also Mediterranean presents a 200-300 km easy to travel journey for the militants. Remember, France launched a full scale assault on Mali to prevent Al Qaeda's victory there, even though the country was landlocked. Clearly, Libya, Algeria and more importantly Tunisia present an even bigger threat. Italy, in fact has been focusing on the IS threat from Libya since last year, when the rest of Europe was fixated on Syria.

Also, if you go through some of the IS propaganda, one common theme that emerges is their threat to their fellow Abrahamics in Vatican. They truly believe that a hit on the Pope can help bring the apocalyptic war that they seek.

And as Singha ji correctly pointed out that IS has taken their first step towards that by shifting a significant part of their assets to Libya. And now French minister is saying that IS is moving for the Libyan oil fields south of Sirte and into the vast wilderness of Sahara. If they are not stopped soon, IS will soon form the most formidable land army in the Sahel. NATO and its North African allies will then face a well dispersed and well trained insurgency, which will be very hard to put down.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35093777

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 16 Dec 2015 02:28

Libya is ISIS strategic depth. I think there is US hand in this strategic retreat.
The US envoy being killed in Benghazi is somehow linked. I don't know the links but go by intuition.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 16 Dec 2015 02:41

X-post from ISIS in Indian sub-continent thread...

SSridhar wrote:Parents turned in IS backer - Vijaita Singh, The Hindu
The 23-year-old computer engineer from Tamil Nadu, who was deported from Sudan before he could reach Libya to fight alongside the Islamic State (IS), had informed his parents of his intentions. It was the parents who informed intelligence agencies and a hunt was then launched for the accused in Sudan.

Sudanese authorities detained him in October on the basis of inputs provided by the Indian agencies. However, diplomatic hurdles and procedures ensured that it was two months before he was deported to India. He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) upon his arrival in India on Friday.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Nasir, also underwent combat training in Sudan for four months. Though he is an Indian citizen, Nasir had a UAE passport too. He was living with his parents in Dubai where he worked as a computer engineer. Before leaving for Sudan, he first travelled to Chennai and returned to Dubai. “He travelled to Sudan on his UAE passport. He reportedly paid Rs. 80,000 for a Sudanese visa. Once he reached Sudan in June this year, he underwent military training at a camp there,” said a senior NIA official.

A senior NIA officer said that Nasir was arrested as “he was all set to join the battlefield in Libya, an emerging stronghold of the IS.” “We decide on slapping criminal charges after analysing the degree of intent. Here, this man had travelled all the way to Sudan to join the IS, which is a banned organisation here in India,” said the NIA official.

Another official said that Nasir was “self-radicalised” through the Internet and he met his facilitator online. “He had been into online radicalisation for the past one year. He was frank enough to tell his parents that he was going to join the IS and would fight for them. He is in our custody till 21st December and we expect to extract more information from him,” said the official.

Investigators are trying to find out if Nasir underwent training at the camp of Al-Sidairah, a Jihadist figure in Sudan who has openly pledged allegiance to the IS.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 25 Dec 2015 08:58

To keep the news flowing, here is one of the good primers i found about the current Libyan mess. Will give the readers here a view of the complexity of the Libyan scenario. Posting nearly in full for better understanding.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/post-gadda ... ns/5497733

Red: Current Libyan government – Council of Deputies

Recognized by most countries as the legitimate government of Libya; this faction controls the remnants of the Libyan National Army along with militias loyal to the Council of Deputies bloc.

Unfortunately, they only control the eastern part of Libya and find themselves in a bitter struggle with Islamists from Ansar al-Shariah and the New General National Congress respectively.

If they are to regain control of Libya, they must first rout Ansar al-Shariah from Benghazi, Ajdabiyah and Derna.

Green: New General National Congress – Libya Dawn

The New General National Congress (NGNC) is quite possibly the most popular party in Libya; however, they lack international support for their newly-formed government in Tripoli after the latter was seized in a Coup D’état in 2014.

Their militia fighters are commonly known as ‘Libya Dawn’.

The strongest voice in the NGNC bloc is the Muslim Brotherhood, which for decades was deemed illegal and heavily repressed by the former Libyan regime.

Yellow: Ansar al-Shariah – Shura Council of Libya

The Libyan al-Qaeda affiliate, Ansar al-Shariah, made itself internationally known with the 2012 Benghazi attack which killed U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer, Sean Smith; this Salafist group has been active since the Libyan rebellion against Gaddafi in early 2011.
Despite a strong underground presence, Ansar al-Shariah controls merely 3 seperate enclaves in eastern Libya, most notably in Benghazi itself.

Purple: Toureg militia tribesmen

Much of the newly reopened border with Algeria is controlled by the ethnically diverse Tuareg tribal militias.

These indigenous Berber people are genetically unrelated to the Arab Libyans in the north.

For years, Tuareg tribesmen clashed with the Libyan Army under Gaddafi which effectively caused them to form an army of their own in retaliation.

The forces unified under the Toureg banner are largely autonomous but maintain close ties to the Tripoli-based New General National Congress while hostility continues between Toureg tribesmen and the Tobruk-Benghazi based Council of Deputies.

These tribesmen do not intend to capture all of Libya but merely to protect the Tuareg lands.

Black: Islamic State

The new phenomenon in northeast Africa and southwest Asia is the rise of the so-called “Islamic State.”

The fighters loyal to the IS caliphate first emerged in Libya in November, 2014.

Despite reports to the contrary, these ISIS fighters are believed to have emerged from Islamist NGNC deserters who aligned themselves with a more hardcore interpretation of Islam.

This explains how ISIS was able to seize control of both the port city of Sirte and the ancient Roman city of Sabratah – both were formerly controlled by the Islamist New General National Congress. shows the deeper green always go for the lighter green first

Strategically, long-term ISIS plans look to incorporate the whole of Libya under one Pan-Islamic caliphate which would be in line with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s 5-year plan of conquering both the Middle East and Africa.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 25 Dec 2015 09:07

Continuing from my previous post..

The current fighting seems to be in the region between the SUrt(Sirte)-Ajdbiya coast, around the Gulf of Sidra, which holds most of Libya's oil reserves and it is the National Government - Council of Deputies who are on the IS firing line. Here is a news report describing the current military maneuvers.

http://www.janes.com/article/56862/isla ... -caliphate

The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Haftar, started an offensive in Ajdabiya on 11 December with the objective of expelling the Islamic State and other jihadist groups from the city. The group is not fully in control of Ajdabiya but since October it has gradually expanded its presence there, carrying out a series of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks against security targets and a series of assassinations targeting individuals affiliated with the LNA and civil society figures.

The elimination of security officials and religious/political/tribal opponents is a typical tactic used by the Islamic State in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere in Libya, notably Sirte, aimed at preparing the ground before attempting to take control. This is likely to be the ultimate aim of the Islamic State, as the group has since then been redeploying militants and heavy weaponry from Sirte towards Nawfaliya and Bin Jawad and around the outskirts of Ajdabiya.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 26 Dec 2015 23:56

Indians, not GoI, need to reach out and establish contact.

How a breakaway region of Somalia hopes to build a new country

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 28 Dec 2015 19:56

CNN

Boko Haram Attacks Northeast Nigerian City, Town, 80 Killed
New York Times - ‎38 minutes ago‎
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria - Boko Haram Islamic extremists struck the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri for the first time in months Monday with rocket-propelled grenades and multiple suicide bombers, witnesses said.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 02 Jan 2016 09:18

News from West African country of Gambia..

Nearly 300 West African migrants have been killed near Tripoli. Libya by IS to mark the New Year. Reports suggest the executed include: Gambians, Senegalese, Nigerians and other West African nationals.

Reports are still sketchy as there are no reporters on the ground. So actual casualty figures are not known.

But even if the report is partially true, it shows how vulnerable Tripoli has become..wonder how the New UN sponsored Unity Government will operate safely from there.

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 02 Jan 2016 10:27

The region of Western Sahara between Morocco and Mauritania is an ungoverned region and is also been historically unstable. It is not recognized as a state by the UN and it is quite likely that IS and AQAM have deep roots here even before they were addressed by such terminology.

There is a contiguous zone of instability that stretches from the Red Sea to the Atlantic and to the Med, this is going to be IS's breeding ground, home base and caliphate. Large parts of Algeria, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Western Sahara, Senegal, Sudan, Libya and Somalia are outside the reach of government and institutions.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 02 Jan 2016 22:49

And so it starts.. Ajdabiya the gateway to Libyan Oil wealth is now partially in IS hands as the local Shura council pledged allegiance to Baghdadi. With Africa's best oil reserves at their disposal, IS wealth will rise exponentially. They may even form an entente with European elites - supplying them a share of the oil smuggling and getting favors in return.

Relevant link - http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/libya-militant ... is-1535716

And in addition, the UN sponsored peace deal is collapsing on the ground. The Libya Dawn factions who control Tripoli have rejected it. Some of them may even be planning to join the IS as this snippet suggests. For the general readers, Misrata is the headquarters of the Libya Dawn group.

Last week, militants in Misrata also swore allegiance to Baghdadi. The Misrata Mujahidin Shura Council appealed to other groups to join with Isis, said a Sunday Times report.

The Deputy Speaker of the Tripoli Parliament in Libya, Awad Abd Al-Sadeq, told journalists on Friday that the General National Congress rejects the UN-backed Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) signed in Skhirat, Morocco on 17 December.

He further stated that the MPs who have signed the agreement represent ‘’only themselves’’.

After a meeting between the UN envoy to Libya Martin Kobler and Tripoli Parliament members in Tripoli, Abd Al-Sadeq said that ‘’substantial amendments’’ needed to be implemented before the General National Congress could reach a decision on the Agreement.

http://www.albawaba.com/news/tripoli-pa ... bya-788106

All of this looks pretty convenient, isn't it? IS base in Sahara is now formalized and with no force to stop it, can grow and grow unchecked in 2016.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 04 Jan 2016 19:35

Gents, big news coming from Libya.

Bin Jawad oil port has fallen. Sidra is next. And the NATO army is the only thing standing the way between IS and Benghazi.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35220281

Islamic State (IS) fighters have clashed with guards as they tried to enter Libya's oil port of Sidra.
Two members of the Petrol Facilities Guard militia, which is defending Sidra, were reportedly killed.
The militants are said to have been pushed back, but IS says it now controls Bin Jawad, 30km (19 miles) west of Sidra on the road from its stronghold in Sirte.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... Libya.html

British special forces have been sent to Libya in a bid to halt the advance of the Islamic State, it has been reported.
SAS troops are understood to be preparing for an offensive involving 1,000 British soldiers to wrest back control of a dozen oil fields seized by the jihadists.
The operation will involve around 6,000 U.S. and European soldiers led by Italian forces, the SAS and military close observation experts from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment.
British experts will advise Libyan military commanders on so-called 'battle-space management' – tactics and skills needed to control the battlefield.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Jan 2016 21:24

the IS elite have likely all relocated to this region, leaving the chechens, saudis, europeans and other true believers to do the rear guard and insurgent thing in middle east.

IS has made a big bet on Libya and will surely want 10x ROI.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 04 Jan 2016 21:36

IS raising its bases now in Yemen and Phillipines amongst other places.

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 05 Jan 2016 01:17

How can NATO help isis in Syria & Iraq but fight them in Libya ? What kind of love-fight relationship is this ?
Who is confused , Nato or isis? Who is more clever of the two ?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 05 Jan 2016 06:55

eastern yemen has been given to IS/AQ by the saudi led coalition on a plate. their Emir likely sits in Aden now.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 07 Jan 2016 14:36

Big ISIS attack in coastal Libya:

Terrormonitor.org ‏@Terror_Monitor now1 minute ago
#LIBYA
#FLASH
Up To 50 Killed In Truck Bomb Attack On Police Training Camp In #Zliten.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 07 Jan 2016 20:59

At least 65 killed in the Zlitan blast.. 200 injured. Eyewitnesses say it is a suicide bombing with a explosives rigged water tanker.

Clearly one of the biggest bomb attacks in Libya. This will become more and more common in the coming months.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 07 Jan 2016 21:03

On the Oil crescent push by IS, now 7 big oil storage facilities on fire - 5 in Sidra, 2 is Ras Lanuf.

Experts are saying that IS is launching the attacks on the oil ports more as a divertionary tactic. The attacks have already drawn soldiers to the ports while the actual oil fields lie unprotected and more and more of them are falling like this.

Daniele Raineri @DanieleRaineri via Twitter
Islamic State in Libya entering an oil facility (storage tankers) 7 kilometers south west of Ras Lanuf
6:15 PM - 5 Jan 2016

https://twitter.com/DanieleRaineri/stat ... wsrc%5Etfw

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 07 Jan 2016 21:09

Found via twitter..

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Jan 2016 21:36

its amazing how quickly a country can be torn apart after its central govt is destroyed.

various warlike sahara tribes and atlas mountain berbers have already splintered away in the south and west.

Mukesh.Kumar · Post by **Mukesh.Kumar** » 08 Jan 2016 23:46

X-Posting from Islamophobia thread

Mukesh.Kumar wrote:And so starts the New Year with ISIS flag bearer attacks in Hurghada Egypt.

Reuters Twitter feed

And I was thinking of taking SHQ there in Feb lured by USD 50 full board rates from the Mariott

More:

https://twitter.com/search?q=Hurghada+a ... wgr^search

Mukesh.Kumar · Post by **Mukesh.Kumar** » 08 Jan 2016 23:50

Apparently shades of 26/11 attack with attackers arriving from the sea

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent ... hotel.aspx

http://isis.liveuamap.com/en/2016/8-jan ... rghada-was

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 09 Jan 2016 09:36

For those out of work Oil engineers around the world, there is a new job offer. There a re a couple of conditions though - there may be a religious barrier and life expectancy can be a bit short.

http://www.ibtimes.com/isis-moving-liby ... ue-2255879

Amin Mneina recalls how Libya’s 2014 legislative election — the first since Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was ousted — started with a sense of excitement and ended in civil war. The 28-year-old field engineer was laid off from his position at Schlumberger, the world’s largest oil field supplies company, after it scaled back its operations in response to spiraling violence. Two years on, Mneina has managed to find another job, but the surge in terrorism that made his former position untenable shows no sign of subsiding.

At least 47 people were killed, and dozens injured, in a truck bomb at a police training center in western Libya on Thursday. Aamaq, a media organization linked to the Islamic State group, said the militant organization was behind the“martyrdom operation” although the group has yet to claim responsibility. The attack comes days after ISIS launched its first operation on Es-Sidra, Libya's largest oil export port and took control of the surrounding region. But the biggest sign that the group is after Libya’s oil is a new document obtained by International Business Times, which reveals the terrorist organization is recruiting oil and gas engineers to work in Libya — the very same jobs that Mneina and his colleagues have been desperately searching for.

For a newbie cutting my teeth on military tech info, the other interesting thing in this article is the customized long range rocket launcher on a pickup truck. Don't know about their reliability but if such things can be mass produced by IS, it will make life very difficult for the 'multiple Libyan Governments', considering their very limited hardware availability and non-existent military production capability.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 09 Jan 2016 09:47

There are news reports saying 21 Egyptians have been kidnapped in the oasis town of Kufra in South eastern Libya.

Looks like the violence is fast approaching the Sudan-Libya-Egypt tri-junction. Together with the targeted tourist spot attacks, looks like Al Sisi saab has a war on his hands.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Jan 2016 09:54

only nile valley in egypt is under firm govt control. the rest of it merging to libya in the west belongs to whoever passes through it.
for 500km width there is no town and no road. same for south and west libya.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 09 Jan 2016 10:17

The only good thing about this is that Egypt will now drain more dollars out of Riyadh vaults - as the budget and trade deficit soars. So less money to support Wahabis worldwide.

Meanwhile, tales from a freshly captured IS town in Libya..and more details on the war in progress. Looks like a decisive war is coming.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/resid ... 1615093894

Residents of Ben Jawad, a coastal Libyan town that fell to the Islamic State (IS) group this week, have spoken of their fears that the militants could soon start carrying out mass executions.

A resident who spoke to Middle East Eye on Thursday said that the militants had rounded up 150 local men believed to have links with former police and military authorities and that the killing could start “any day” now.

“IS entered the town very forcefully, taking over all government buildings, the schools, the hospital and the bank,” Mohamed, who would not give his full name due to security concerns, told MEE. “They arrested 150 men - mostly former military and police, and held them in one of the government buildings. They even arrested those who had previously been forced to sign IS repentance documents, apologising for having worked for government institutions.”

Communications in Ben Jawad have been compromised after a telephone network tower was destroyed during ongoing fighting between militants loyal to IS and local people fighting alongside Libyan Army personnel in the east Libyan town of Ajdabiya, but some information is filtering out.

“People in Ben Jawad are shocked and terrified. We have no internet, only intermittent phone signals and no petrol,” said another resident, stranded in Ras Lanuf since Monday when he went to refuel his car.

“I passed Sidra oil port just minutes before the suicide bomb attack and the force of the explosion pushed my car across the road. It was a massive blast. We have known for months IS would try to take the oil ports but neither government did anything to prevent it and now local people are paying the price.”

After Monday’s attack on the oil facilities, several air strikes were carried out and dozens of IS vehicles reportedly destroyed, prompting militants to start moving around the area on foot to avoid being seen from the air. A local farmer checking on his livestock reported seeing militants walking through desert areas to the south of Ben Jawad carrying assault rifles, machine guns and RPGs.

“They are gathering at several points near the town, preparing for another attack, and broadcasts have been made on the IS radio station in Sirte telling fighters to move towards the oil terminals,” explained Mohamed. “We also heard that last night (Wednesday night) another suicide vehicle loaded with explosives was intercepted outside Ras Lanuf.”

The former head of the PFG, Ibrahim Jadhran, who has been in control of the oil facilities since summer 2013, appeared on local television to say he would now work with the Tripoli-based government in the fight against IS, despite having been in conflict with it in 2014.

“Although they were enemies before, there is now an arrangement between the Tripoli government and Jadhran, and ammunition is being sent on boats from Misrata to the Ras Lanuf seaport,” said one Misrata-based fighter.

“This is an unexpected development but now we have a common enemy and the Tripoli government feels that it can negotiate with Jadhran whereas it is impossible to negotiate with IS.”

In his televised statement, Jadhran insisted that he would not work with Khalifa Haftar, the head of the army for Libya’s eastern Tobruk-based government. Unconfirmed reports suggest, however, that Haftar’s forces are also preparing to attack IS, with warplanes being sent to an airstrip at the Brega oil facility, 130km east of Ras Lanuf.

Petroleum engineer Khalil said that IS had set its sights on the Ras Lanuf facility for its refinery and oil export capacity.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Jan 2016 12:03

after AQ killed dozens of kenyan soldiers yesterday, AQ/IS in action today on the other coast of africa

At least 20 dead in ongoing Burkina Faso hotel siege, 63 hostages evacuated
WORLD
At least 20 people have been killed and another 15 wounded in an ongoing Al-Qaeda attack on a hotel in the capital of Burkina Faso popular with United Nations staff and westerners.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Jan 2016 14:26

larger sophisticated attack than mali. some came as tourists and stayed in the hotel for the day before being joined by another team. said to be JV between AQ and al-makbaroun

cars in flames outside the hotel

CNN

Survivors described horrific scenes as the gunmen paced and fired in the hotel.

"We could hear them talking and they were walking around and kept shooting at people that seemed alive," survivor Yannick Sawadogo told the affiliate.

"Everyone was panicked and was laying down on the floor. There was blood everywhere, they were shooting at people at point blank."

Sawadogo said he escaped through a broken window, and could barely see because of smoke.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Jan 2016 14:35

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/ ... et%20tools

Agence France Presse
OUAGADOUGOU: Security forces in Burkina Faso ended a siege at hotel and a restaurant that were stormed by Al Qaeda linked gunmen, killing three extremists and freeing 126 people, but another assault was ongoing at second hotel nearby.

A security source said at least 22 people were killed in the extremists' assaults on the Burkinabe capital's four-star Splendid hotel and the nearby Capuccino restaurant, which are popular with U.N. staff and foreigners.

Thirty-three of the 126 people freed from the Splendid hotel by Burkinabe troops backed by French special forces were wounded.

"The attacks on the Splendid Hotel and the Cappuccino are over. But an assault is ongoing at the Hotel Ybi" next to the Cappuccino, Interior Minister Simon Compaore told AFP.

A total of "126 people, including at least 33 wounded, have been freed. Three extremists -- an Arab and two black Africans -- have been killed," he added.

Twenty people have been confirmed dead, but the toll could rise further as Compaore told AFP earlier in the night that firefighters had seen 10 bodies on the terrace of the restaurant.

"We don't yet have a total tally of the dead. The Burkinabe forces are still combing the hotel," he said.

Communication minister Remis Dandjinou told AFP the assault was carried out by Burkinabe troops with the support of French special forces. He also said that among those who escaped unharmed was Labor Minister Clement Sawadogo.

Early Saturday, a fire raged at the main entrance of the 147-room hotel in Ouagodougou and screams could be heard from inside, while on the street outside about 10 vehicles were set alight.

"It was horrible, people were sleeping and there was blood everywhere. They were firing at people at close range," Yannick Sawadogo, one of those who escaped, told AFP.

"We heard them speaking and they were walking around people and firing at people who were not dead. And when they came out they started a fire."

The attack comes less than two months after a extremist hostage siege at the luxury Radisson Blu hotel in the Malian capital Bamako left 20 people dead, including 14 foreigners -- an attack claimed by the same Al-Qaeda affiliate behind the unfolding Ouagadougou assault.

- 'Revenge against France' -

The head of the city's main hospital confirmed prior to the start of the counter-assault at least 20 people had been killed.

He quoted one of the wounded as saying there were "more white people than black" among the dead.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack saying it was "revenge against France and the disbelieving West", according to a statement carried by U.S.-based monitoring group SITE.

The attackers were members of the Al-Murabitoun group based in Mali and run by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, SITE said.

An AFP reporter at one point saw three men clad in turbans firing at the scene on Avenue Kwame Nkrumah, one of Ouagadougou's main thoroughfares.

A witness also reported seeing four assailants who were of Arab or white appearance and "wearing turbans".

- 'Odious, cowardly' -

The French embassy said on its website earlier that a "terrorist attack" was underway and urged people to avoid the area. French President Francois Hollande in a statement condemned the "odious and cowardly attack".

With Ouagadougou airport closed because of the attack, and an Air France flight from Paris to Ouagadougou was diverted to neighboring Niger.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington could provide drone-based surveillance.

The Burkinabe army, meanwhile, said a heavily-armed group of about 20 people had also carried out an attack Friday near the border with Mali, killing two people -- a police officer and a civilian -- and leaving two others wounded.

Several attacks have taken place in Burkina Faso in recent months, but no such assaults had hit the capital.

In April the Romanian security chief of a mine in northern Tambao was kidnapped in a move also claimed by Belmokhtar's Al-Murabitoun group.

Burkina Faso is part of the G5 Sahel grouping that counts the fight against terrorism as part of its remit.

It has also offered support to France's Barkhane counter-terror mission, spanning five countries in Africa's restive Sahel region, and French special forces are stationed in Ouagadougou's suburbs.

Last month, Burkina Faso swore in Roch Marc Christian Kabore as president, completing the troubled West African state's transition after the overthrow of its longtime ruler Blaise Compaore in 2014 and a failed coup attempt in September.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 16 Jan 2016 20:39

Burkina Faso hostage siege: 126 freed, at least 20 killed in Islamist attack

Between 1:13 and 1:17, those folks appears to be amreekans

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 21 Jan 2016 12:17

ISIS strikes on Libyan Oil facilities:

https://www.rt.com/news/329644-libya-attack-isis-port/

Reports of major ISIS attack on Ras Lanuf oil port in northern Libya

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 31 Jan 2016 17:46

Have been travelling over the last week with no internet connectivity.. came back today and found this wonderful news.. Democracy will return dobara to Libya.

http://www.wnd.com/2016/01/generals-fea ... -in-libya/

Washington prepares to take “decisive military action” in Libya against the alarming growth of ISIS

member_29325 · Post by **member_29325** » 31 Jan 2016 19:49

So the US, with its billion dollar "intelligence" took this long to figure out ISIS was in libya? Maybe the CIA should pay attention to events in Libya instead -- could be a lot cheaper for them. Totally useless charade by the US -- first they support the "syrian rebels"/good ISIS and allow them to run riot over libya and Iraq for a few years and now suddenly find ISIS in libya it seems. On top of that, these fools want countries like India to "work with the US" in routing out the ISIS -- the people running the US must think everyone else is an idiot.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 31 Jan 2016 21:03

^^ So US will bomb groups that are against ISIS in Libya just like they did in Syria and Iraq

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 31 Jan 2016 21:29

Shhh! With coming Obamic strikes, the prognosis is poor for ISIS/ ability to avoid having dust blown on to the natty black salwars, having tire damage to their Toyotas, being woken up at night or at noon by the noise of their enemies being hammered by US strikes, etc.

member_29325 · Post by **member_29325** » 31 Jan 2016 23:38

UlanBatori wrote: being woken up at night or at noon by the noise of their enemies being hammered by US strikes, etc.

ObamaNation is definitely striking at the heart of ISIS plans (for a quiet afternoon siesta) -- BO's awesomness is truly a shining light in these dark years of planet earth, and justifies his Nobel Peace Prize.

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 03 Feb 2016 23:30

And now there are reports that the NATO nations have put their Libya operations plan on hold. even though there are several reports saying special forces are already on the ground. Seems like the same muddled strategy which aided IS's rise in Iraq.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016 ... s-national

The military strategy for eliminating the Islamic State in Libya appeared on hold Tuesday as nations fighting the extremist group said they could help the North African country re-establish security once its long-awaited new government is established.

But Libya is in political crisis, more than four years after a U.S.-led military effort helped topple dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Neither the U.S. nor anyone else at a 23-nation conference in Rome spoke of a second military intervention.

Seems like a perfect strategy to keep the IS fire intact. Promising to help the Unity Government when there is no such thing on the ground is a masterstoke.

I am beginning to think that US Govt. proclamations is something like 'Comedy Nights' for the IS population. John 'Kapil' Kerry is the star attraction.