Anti-jihadist force set to deploy:

attacked by armed men last week has been confirmed as explosive, police said on Monday.

The device was discovered on Sunday three days after the attack at the mosque by three men armed with guns and knives. One person was killed after his throat was slit, and two others were injured.

“We had a meeting with the explosive unit members who briefed us on the device they had taken away yesterday. They confirmed that its mechanism is explosive,” Simphiwe Mhlongo, a spokesman for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation told eNCA television. (RTRS)

A new five-nation force is ready to deploy to fight jihadists in the Sahel region of northwestern Africa, Niger’s defence minister said on Sunday.

The G5 Sahel counter-terrorist force aims to fight armed extremist groups that have carried out deadly attacks across the region.

Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger agreed last year to set up the 5,000-strong force.

They will operate alongside thousands of French and UN forces already deployed in the region along the southern rim of the Sahara desert. (RTRS)