Niger's army has clashed with a heavily armed convoy of vehicles that entered its territory from Libya, killing 13 in the convoy and suffering one casualty on its side, military sources in the West African country said on Wednesday. The sources said Nigerien authorities took a further 13 prisoners after the incident, which took place on Sunday around the remote northern Nigerien mining town of Arlit just south of the border with Libya.
"I understand it was a convoy of pro-Qadhafi Libyans guided by Malian Tuaregs," said one army officer who declined to be named, adding that some members of the convoy had fled. Niger's government said late on Tuesday there had been a clash, without specifying that the convoy had come from Libya, where forces loyal to slain leader Muammar Qadhafi have been routed by Nato-backed rebels now in control of the country.
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