Cote d'Ivoire warns against jihadist threats
Xinhua, July 2, 2015 Adjust font size:
Cote d'Ivoire government on Wednesday urged its citizens to increase vigilance in the face of jihadist threats.
"We urge the citizens to increase their vigilance. We also urge state officers to reinforce vigilance and to remain in maximum communication with security actors to provide an appropriate response to this threat," Government Spokesman Bruno Kone said after a cabinet meeting in Abidjan.
Kone said the government was closely working with the Malian authorities and had put in place permanent measures for securing the border region.
"The defense minister is discussing with his Malian counterpart. Measures are being taken to ensure the situation does not get worse," he revealed.
On Tuesday, Ansar Dine jihadist group claimed responsibility for two attacks carried out on Sunday in southern Mali, some 15 km from the Cote d'Ivoire border. Following the attacks, Cote d'Ivoire has reinforced its military deployment along the border with Mali.
Ansar Dine is a terrorist group of insurgents based in northern Mali.
At the same time, Cote d'Ivoire and United Nations soldiers are helping Malian soldiers in a combing operation in Fakola, a Malian town near Cote d'Ivoire border which was attacked by the jihadists.
Security sources told Xinhua three jihadists had been killed during the operation. Endi