7 charged in attack on Israeli Embassy in Mauritania

Seven men believed to be Islamic extremists have been charged in the attack earlier this month on the Israeli Embassy in Mauritania, a judge said Sunday.

Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Talhata said the five Mauritanians and two Tunisians have been charged with ''participating in an organization whose aim is to carry out terrorist acts.''

Although the seven have not been jailed, they are expected to check in daily to the nearest police station, he said.

The men had earlier been arrested in connection with the Feb. 1 attack on the embassy and a neighboring disco, but were released two weeks later because of insufficient evidence. On Thursday, a state prosecutor ordered the case reopened after new evidence surfaced pointing to their alleged involvement.

The judge described the men as ''Salafist jihadists,'' a reference to an extremist Islamic movement based in Algeria, which has claimed responsibility for numerous bombings there, as well as several attacks in Mauritania including the one on the embassy.

The group recently changed its name from the Salafist Group for Call and Combat to al-Qaeda in Islamic North Africa, a move highlighting its recently brokered affiliation with al-Qaeda.

'Retaliation for Israel's policies in Gaza'

On the night of the attack on the Israeli Embassy, witnesses said they saw several men gather outside the VIP, a popular nightclub, before pulling weapons out of their coats and attacking the embassy, screaming ''Allah Akbar'' or ''God is great.''

Unexploded grenades were also found inside the VIP, whose exterior facade was riddled with bullets. Three people were injured in the attack.

A statement released by the Algeria-based terror cell claimed responsibility for the attack on the embassy in Mauritania, calling it retaliation for Israeli policies in the Gaza Strip.

The attack was the third in just over a month in Mauritania, following the slaying of four French tourists in late December and a shooting at an army outpost, the latter of which was also claimed by the al-Qaeda affiliated cell.

Mauritania is one of the only Arab League states that recognizes Israel, allowing it to have an embassy on its soil, a policy that has not pleased hardline Muslims.

The country held its first free and fair elections last year and has been relatively free of terrorism, but the pace of recent attacks has led some analysts to argue that Mauritania may be fostering a terror network of its own supported by the Algerian al-Qaeda affiliate.