Islamist militants attack oil field, two dead
The terrorist attack on a natural gas
installation at In Amenas in eastern Algeria may be an isolated act of
revenge for the French intervention in Mali -- or an ominous portent of
things to come in North Africa, where Islamist militancy is gaining
traction fast.
The man claiming
responsibility for the operation is a veteran jihadist who is also
renowned for hostage-taking and smuggling anything from cigarettes to
refugees.
His name is Moktar
Belmoktar, an Algerian who lost an eye while fighting in Afghanistan in
his teens and has long been a target of French counter-terrorism forces.
Today, he leads a group
called Al-Mulathameen Brigade (The Brigade of the Masked Ones), which is
associated with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM.) In the last few
years, he has cultivated allies and established cells far and wide
across the region.
Source:CNN
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