French troops destroy al Qaeda convoy in NigerOctober 11, 2014 - 08:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - French troops have destroyed an al Qaeda convoy in Niger that was transporting weapons from Libya to Mali, and also captured some of the group's fighters, the French presidency has said, according to Al Jazeera. The office of President Francois Hollande said in a statement on Friday, Oct 10, that its forces, in cooperation with local authorities, had destroyed a convoy in northern Niger and captured fighters from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). "The intervention enabled a large quantity of weapons to be seized and to neutralize a number of those in the convoy, including some who were captured," the statement read. AQIM has been present in the western Sahel region of north Africa since it was pushed out of Algeria. French troops have been based in the Sahel region since January 2013, to hunt down fighters, including AQIM who have seized control of Mali's northern desert cities. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said around 3,000 French soldiers are part of a wide counter-terrorism operation, codenamed Barkhane, in five countries along the southern rim of the Sahara. Operation Barkhane, named after a crescent-shaped sand dune, involves the use of drones, helicopters, fighter jets, armored vehicles and transport planes against fighters in Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Niger and Mauritania. Photo: AFP Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |