Malian army kill 15 on border checkpoint

A shooting on the Mali border killed between twelve to fifteen Mauritanians on Sunday morning, revealed Mauritanian security sources in the capital Nouakchott. A Mauritanian security source said that the Malian army justified the shooting by stating that the group attempted to pass a security checkpoint at the border without stopping. This made them believe that they were either members of the Islamic group that control the Ozoad region in northern Mali or a group trying to join terrorist organisations. The shooting by the Malian army was near the area of Jibno, which is approximately 121 kilometers from the Mauritanian town Fasal. Sources confirmed that the victims were unarmed. The family of a young man, Omar wald Ahmed, stated that they were almost certain their young son was amongst the killed. Omar had also left Mauritania with members of Jamaat al dawa wa al Tabligh (The Group of Advocacy) to attend a conference that was going to be held on Wednesday. However, his family denied any relation between Jamaat al dawa wa al Tabligh and the armed Islamic groups that control major Mali cities in the north.