A senior official in Mali involved in discussions relating to the Canadian diplomats and European tourists who have been taken hostage said that Al-Qaeda Maghreb is demanding the release of two of its Mauritanian operatives as one of the conditions for the release of the hostages. According to the source, the hostages are being held by the group headed by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a veteran commander in the Sahara region who operates with a great deal of autonomy and whose relations with the Al-Qaeda Maghreb leadership are not good.
Source: Tahalil Hebdo (Mauritania), February 21, 2009.
