Troops die in Mauritania ambush

Twelve Mauritanian soldiers have been killed in an ambush by suspected Islamist rebels, officials have said.

The attack occurred east of Zouerat, close to the border with Western Sahara, officials said.

They indicated that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has been blamed for previous attacks in the country, could be responsible.

The group had threatened action after a recent coup that toppled Mauritania's first democratically elected president.

Following the 6 August coup, an internet message attributed to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb urged Mauritanians to take up arms against the military leaders who seized power.

The group is largely based in neighbouring Algeria but was blamed for the killing of four French tourists in Mauritania last December.

It was also believed to be behind an attack on the Israeli embassy in the capital, Nouakchott, two months later.

The US has identified the desert regions of Mauritania and its neighbours as a potential haven for Islamist militants, setting up joint-security programmes in the area.

But the US also suspended more than $20m (£11m) in non-humanitarian aid following the August coup.