Four Islamic extremists escaped from a prison in Nouakchott on Sunday, killing two members of the security forces, Mauritania’s interior ministry said on Monday.
“At 9:00 p.m. on March 5, 2023, four terrorists managed to escape from the Nouakchott Central Prison after attacking the guards, triggering an exchange of shots, resulting in the death of two members of the National Guard and the wounding of two others, it indicates. a statement from the Ministry of the Interior.
The identity of the fugitives has not yet been revealed.
Two of the escaped prisoners had been sentenced to death and the other two were awaiting trial for alleged membership in a terrorist organization, a Mauritanian military source told France Presse.
The same source, who asked not to be named, also said that the vehicle used by the four fugitives was found in an area located northeast of the capital.
The death penalty is still in force in the country but has not been applied since 1987.
“The National Guard reinforced control in the prison and immediately began the search operation to arrest the fugitives as quickly as possible,” said the Ministry of the Interior, which called on citizens to provide any indication that could be used to detect escaped prisoners.
Mauritania borders Mali, where extremist actions by Islamic groups have been constant since 2012.
Since 2011, there have been no Islamic terrorist attacks in Mauritania since 2011.
Source: TSF
