18°05′07″N 15°58′21″W / 18.08528°N 15.97250°W
| 2011 Nouakchott bombing plot | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) | |
 Nouakchott | |
| Location | Nouakchott, Mauritania |
| Date | February 1–2, 2011 |
| Target | President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and the Embassy of France |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Weapons | truck bomb |
| Deaths | 1 gendarme, 3 perpetrators |
| Injured | 9 |
| Perpetrators | Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) |
In early February 2011, operatives from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) attempted a coordinated attack in the capital city of Nouakchott. The plot involved three vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) and aimed to assassinate President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz as well as bomb the French Embassy.
Background
editIn the years leading up to the plot, Mauritania faced a rise in terrorist activity, including killings and kidnappings. In response, the government conducted raids against AQIM bases in Mali.[1] The planned attack would have been the third suicide bombing in the country's history, following the 2009 Nouakchott suicide bombing[2] targeting the French Embassy and the 2010 Néma suicide bombing on a military barracks.[3]
Planning
editAccording to the testimony of Saleck Ould Cheikh Mohamedou, the attack was planned over four months. The group prepared two explosive-laden vehicles and kept backup cars in reserve. The first vehicle, carrying about 1.5 tons of explosives, was intended to target the Ministry of Defense and nearby police headquarters, while the second was aimed at the French Embassy. The cell consisted of eight members, including six Mauritanians, one Algerian, and one from Guinea-Bissau. They traveled from the Tigharghar Mountain through Sélibabi toward the capital, using three vehicles in total.[4] Mohamedou denied that the plot aimed to assassinate Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, contradicting claims made by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.[5]
Interceptions
editOn 28 January, three explosive-laden Toyota Land Cruisers entered Mauritania from northern Mali, and security forces began tracking them immediately.[6] On 1 February, the first vehicle was intercepted near R' Kiz about 200 km south of Nouakchott. It contained around 1.2 tons of explosives and related materials. One suspect was captured, while two others escaped.[7][8][9]
In the early hours of 2 February, a second vehicle was stopped in the Riyad district, about 12 kilometers from the city center. When troops engaged it, the explosives detonated, killing three attackers and injuring nine soldiers.[6][10] The third vehicle was later reported to have fled the scene, and authorities launched a pursuit operation to track it down.[11]
On 5 February, the military captured one of the two suspects who had escaped from the first vehicle after a three-day search operation in a forest near the Senegal River in southern Mauritania. The second suspect reportedly detonated himself during the operation. The fugitives had killed a gendarme before fleeing into the forest.[9]
References
edit- ↑ Hassane Koné (6 December 2019). "How has Mauritania managed to stave off terror attacks?". ISS Today. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Suicide bomber injures two at gates of French embassy". Radio France International. 9 August 2009. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Attacker attempts to blow up Mauritian barracks". Eyewitness News. 25 August 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Le plan des attentats programmés révélé par des éléments terroristes" [The planned attacks revealed by terrorist elements]. Agence Mauritanienne d’Information (in French). 9 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "A Threat From Prison? A Look at AQIM Mauritanian Operative Saleck Ould Cheikh Mohamedou". Jamestown. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Mauritanian army foils Qaeda attempt on president". Al Arabiya. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Country Reports on Terrorism 2011 - Mauritania". United States Department of State. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Attentat manqué à Nouakchott : Aqmi voulait " assassiner " le président Ould Abdelaziz" [Failed attack in Nouakchott: AQIM wanted to “assassinate” President Ould Abdelaziz]. Jeune Afrique (in French). 2 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- 1 2 "الجيش يعتقل أحد المسلحين ..والآخر يفجر نفسه" [The army arrests one of the armed men, while the other blows himself up]. essirage.net (in Arabic). 5 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "Mauritania: 'Al-Qaeda men die' as troops fire on car". BBC. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ "نواكشوط تبحث عن سيارة ثالثة شاركت في عملية "القاعدة"" [Nouakchott is searching for a third vehicle involved in the “al-Qaeda” operation]. Al Khaleej (in Arabic). 4 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2026.