January 12, 2013

Somalia: French Soldier Killed In Failed Hostage Rescue

al-Sabaab released this video of Denis Allex in October of last year

The African Taliban, have held Allex since 2009

A French soldier was killed and another was captured in a failed French commando raid on Saturday to rescue French hostage Denis Allex, who is also believed to have died in the operation, according to the French Defence Ministry.

The Islamist captors of a French military agent killed him during a French commando raid in Somalia, the French Defence Ministry said Saturday. One French soldier and 17 Islamists were also killed in the fighting.

Gen. Martin Klotz, a spokesman for the ministry, declined to provide details of the overnight operation aimed at rescuing secret service agent Denis Allex - the code-name for the man who was kidnapped by the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab in Mogadishu, the capital, in 2009.

However, the African Taliban have denied they killed him.
His Somali captors, however, claim they are holding Allex alive and said they had a new captive, a French commando wounded in the fighting.

"(Denis) Allex still remains safe and far from the location of the battle," al-Shabaab said in a news release. "As a response to this botched rescue operation by the French forces, (the Shabaab) assures the French people that it will give its final verdict regarding the fate of Denis Allex within two days."

If he is alive, the African Taliban will most likely release a video, otherwise he is most likely dead. As to the French soldier held captive now, if true, it remains to be seen how long they will keep him alive.

By Stable Hand at 02:37 PM | Comments |