Al-Qaida claims responsibility for shooting attack near Israeli Embassy in Mauritania

Al-Qaida claimed responsibility early Sunday morning for Friday's shooting attack near the Israeli Embassy in Mauritania that wounded three French nationals.

The international terrorist organization urged Muslim states to cut all ties to Israel. Mauritani, an Islamic republic that straddles black and Arab Africa, is one of the few Arab League states to have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israeli sources said they believe the embassy was not in fact the target of the attack, but rather an adjacent restaurant frequented by foreign diplomats.

The attack followed recent public calls by political parties in Mauritania for the government to sever ties to Jerusalem.

Israel Radio reported Saturday that the Mauritanian authorities have apprehended three suspects believed to be connected to the shooting in the capital of Nouakchott, citing local media reports in Mauritania.

The three suspects were reportedly arrested while attempting to flee a police checkpoint, according to Israel Radio. It said that according to the Mauritanian media, police discovered during an interrogation that the suspects were en route to a nearby rendezvous where a getaway car was awaiting them.

No embassy staff were hurt in the shooting attack, Israeli Ambassador to Mauritania Boaz Bismuth told Israel Radio in a telephone conversation on Friday.

	A soldier blocking the street after gunmen opened fire on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania on Friday. (Reuters)