Mauritania has denied media reports about signing a deal with Al Qaeda terrorist group, said Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed Lemine, spokesman for the Mauritanian government. 

At a press conference on Thursday, Lemine said such reports are baseless and unfounded. 

The attacks carried out by Mauritania against Al Qaeda strongholds are the best proof of the invalidity of such claims.

Some local and western reports have earlier talked about a deal between the Mauritanian government and Al Qaeda that obliges the latter's branch in Islamic Maghreb area not to target Mauritania for one year. In return, the Mauritanian side will release all Al Qaeda prisoners and not to raid any Qaeda base.

Source : MENA