20110526
Reuters
NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Mauritanian security forces shot dead a suspected member of al Qaeda's North African wing and captured another after a firefight in the country's remote desert late last week, the army said.

Mauritania and other Saharan states have put their militaries on heightened alert after U.S. special forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2.

"One of our patrols intercepted a Toyota Land Cruiser with two suspects 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Lemgheity," according to an army statement issued on Tuesday, a translation of which was obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

"The suspects opened fire on the patrol before the patrol fired back in their direction, disabling the vehicle and seriously wounding one of the occupants, who died soon after," it said, adding that the incident took place last Thursday.

The dead suspect was buried on site and the wounded man was detained for questioning, according to the release. A machinegun and ammunition was seized from the vehicle.

The army said the dead suspect was believed to have been involved in an attack on a Mauritanian military base in Lamgheity in 2005 that killed 17 soldiers.

Mauritania is one of several countries in Africa's Sahara Desert region where al Qaeda-linked fighters have attacked foreigners and local security forces, and has joined in recent joint military operations targeting them.