Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb | Mauritania | Algeria

The Mauritanian military escorts the Spanish humanitarian organization, Barcelona Accio Solidaria, against potential attacks by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The convoy is traveling through Mauritania on their way to the Senegal border, near Nouachott on December 2, 2009.
"For the last eight years they had followed well-publicized routes through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia. This time, as the volunteers traversed the stretch of sand-swept pavement that is Mauritania’s main highway, a group of armed men lay in wait.
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Members of the convoy heard gunshots at about 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29, they told reporters. Those in front raced back to the caravan’s last car. The Land Rover stood abandoned in the dark, doors gaping open. Money and equipment remained inside. The passengers had vanished."
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