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French man shot and wounded by Mauritanian troops

Friday, 18 April 2008

French man shot and wounded by Mauritanian troops

A French man has been shot and wounded by Mauritanian soldiers, who were guarding the country's presidential palace, and it is understood that the guards thought he posed a danger.

The Mauritanian soldiers are reported to have fired at a car in the capital Nouakchott because the driver did not respond when being asked to leave the area.

A police officer is reported by the Reuter agency to have said: "At around 2100 (GMT) someone in a vehicle with tinted windows passed in front of the military base in Nouakchott and the soldiers guarding it panicked and opened fire into the vehicle."

The man who was shot was taken to hospital and is being flown back to France for treatment.

Security in Mauritania has been increased since four French tourists were killed back in December, and it is feared that al-Qaeda cells are establishing themselves in the country.

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