Algeria military mali al qaeda 12 20 11

Malian troops check bushes on July 18, 2011, three weeks after a military raid dislodged Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrab (AQIM) from its newly-built base in the Wagoudou forest. Situated 500km (300 miles) north-east of the Malian capital Bamako, on the border with Mauritania, the Wagadou Forest was to be used by AQIM as a base from which to carry out attacks in the region and store heavy weapons.