Niger

[Schneemann]

Niger's army 'blocks Libya to Mali' convoy

Niger's army has clashed with a heavily armed convoy travelling from Libya towards Mali, the country's Defence Minister Mahamadou Karidio has said. He said that one soldier was killed in the clashes on Sunday while several attackers were captured.

Mr Karidio did not clarify whether the convoy was made up of fighters of the ousted Libyan government or al-Qaeda linked militants in the region. Both groups have travelled through the increasingly unstable border area. The remote desert region is also affected by a rebellion involving ethnic Tuaregs, some of whom fought on the side of killed Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi during the conflict in Libya.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15654572">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15654572</a><!-- m -->

Schneemann.