MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia’s most dangerous militant group said Thursday that it killed a French hostage that French military forces tried to rescue last weekend during a botched raid.

Al-Shabab said in a Twitter posting that the agent, Denis Allex, was killed Wednesday evening Somalia time.

French officials have said they believe Allex was killed the night of the raid and that claims by al-Shabab of an execution were simply propaganda. Allex, a French intelligence agent, was taken by the militants in July 2009 and had been held ever since.

A French raid Friday night and early Saturday failed to rescue him and resulted in the deaths of two French troops and 17 Somalis, French officials say.

The Islamist extremists said in an Internet posting on Wednesday that they had decided to kill Allex in retaliation for the weekend operation. The group has offered no proof that Allex was alive any time after the raid.

Adm. Edouard Guillaud, France’s military chief of staff, said Wednesday that there had been no indication since the night of the raid that Allex was still alive, and that French official believed he was already dead.

Transported by helicopters, the French commandos attacked the al-Shabab position early Saturday in an attempt to free Allex. France’s defense minister has said the government decided to stage the rescue a month ago, when Allex’s location seemed to have settled down “in a spot accessible by the sea.” U.S. military aircraft briefly entered Somali airspace to support the rescue operation, President Barack Obama said Sunday, but did not use weapons.

French officials said they killed 17 of the Islamist rebels. Al-Shabab said many villagers were killed.

Al-Shabab once controlled all of south-central Somali, including the capital, Mogadishu. African Union troops pushed al-Shabab out of the capital in 2011, but the Islamist rebels still control wide swaths of rural southern Somalia.

 

Source: AP

1 COMMENT

  1. Hassan Boqol-iyo-Sagaashan President needs to explain what he is going to do about the constant violation of Somali-Italia-Federation borders by Foreign states???

    Will anyone be held responsible for the 18-Murders of which 17 were Somali and 1 french?

    When will there be an investigation?

    Will France pay Compensation money to the Victims families?

    Are White or non-Somali Aid workers ever going to be safe under Amisom or the Somali-national-forces?

  2. Somalia is becoming all the more dangerous with the latest up surges of serious conflicts
    on many fronts. Pretty scary nasty conflicts.
    Cheers.

    • Mogadishu ‘s 100 million dollar power plant construction is effective in eleven month according
      To Président Hassan sheikh Mahamud !
      Long live somalia !
      Ps : i know you see us chillin’ with Obama :p

  3. Your comments remind me something kayse

    Said one day : There is people in somaliland diaspora who Pray to God everyday that somalia never achieve Peace.

    How sad is that people ?

    • kkkkkkkkkk somaliland people don't have enough time to wish bad on darood+mooryan alliance. somaliland is building it self while you animals eat each other. by the way jubbaland is hawiye

  4. the U.S. government officially recognizes the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia and it and territorial integrity !

    Long Live Somalia and R.I.P to the 3 council project !

    • May I remind you one thing pal? For the last 22 years, Somalia was regarded by IC as a failed state which meant that there were no internationally recognized governments at all in either side of former Somali Republic, and this was repeatedly explained here by Dr. Buuxiye, therefore, the recognization extended to the current Government in Mogadishu by US limits only to Somalia and has absolutely nothing to do with Somaliland and its affairs. Somaliland is not yet recognized but it deals with the outside world as a country and of course, it will continue this way until the talks between Somalia and Somaliland for their future relations takes a clear direction.

  5. Let me clear to you“ same thing u don’t know… Now on you have to say ur title>> ALSHABAAB militants<samali militants< !!! I have one Q???? For you do you chew jaad wen you was writing ,,,if yes stop jaad chaat and go salaaat.,,