MOGADISHU - A second French soldier has died from gunshot wounds after an attempt to rescue a French agent failed at the weekend, Somalia’s al Shabaab rebel group said on Monday (14/01/2013).
French forces went into southern Somalia by helicopter under the cover of darkness on Saturday to try to free Denis Allex, held hostage since 2009, but were met with fierce resistance from the al Qaeda-linked militants.
The outcome of the mission was unclear. French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday the operation had failed despite the "sacrifice” of two soldiers and "no doubt the assassination of our hostage.” Earlier the government had said one was missing-in-action.
"The second commando died from his bullet wounds. We shall display the bodies of the two Frenchmen,” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, spokesman for al Shabaab’s military operations, told Reuters by telephone.
Musab said Allex was alive and his fate would be decided later. (Reporting by Feisal Omar; Writing by Richard Lough) - Reuters
World
| World
