- PARIS: Niger denied on Wednesday it was holding two suspected militants believed to have been involved in the kidnapping and killing of two French nationals at the weekend, contradicting a previous report.
The official denial came the day after French Defence Minister Alain Juppe said two suspected militants connected to al Qaeda's North African wing (AQIM) had been handed to Niger authorities for questioning.Four others were found dead after French special forces joined a failed attempt to rescue them in the West Africa.