French hostage, a soldier and 17 others killed in Somalia in failed rescue attempt; reax

Описание: (12 Jan 2013) SHOTLIST
Paris, France
1. Jean-Yves Le Drian walks into news conference
2. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Defence Minister:
"Last night, a special forces commando deployed on site (Somalia), very discreetly began to penetrate the location of the detention. There he immediately had to face strong resistance. Violent fighting occurred. Violent fighting during which, and I am speaking cautiously, everything leads us to believe that unfortunately Denis Allex has been executed by his captors. During the attempt to free their friend a soldier lost his life following sustained injuries and a soldier has gone missing."
3. Wide of news conference
Mogadishu, Somalia
4. Wide of Abdiqadir Mohamed Sidii, Governor of Lower Shabelle region, Somalia, coming into room
5. Mid of Sidii with notebook
6. Close of his face
7. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Abdiqadir Mohamed Sidii, Governor of Lower Shabelle region, Somalia:
"The attack happened at almost 2 o'clock (2300 GMT Friday) in the middle of the night and it was carried out by French commandos who wanted to release a French hostage who was held by the terrorists for the last three years."
8. Cut away of Sidii's hands, writing
9. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Abdiqadir Mohamed Sidii, Governor of Lower Shabelle region, Somalia:
"We knew about the attack, NATO forces always used to contact us about the whereabouts of that agent held by the terrorists and last night did so. Almost 27 Al-Shabab fighters were killed in the attack and two Somalis who were in the same family were caught in the crossfire during the operation."
10. Mid of the governor checking his mobile
11. Close of him talking on the phone
STORYLINE:
A French commando raid in Somalia to free a captive intelligence agent has ended in the deaths of 17 Islamists and a French soldier.
France's defence minister on Saturday said the hostage also died in the failed rescue, but the man's captors said that he remained alive, and claimed to have seized a second soldier.
"Everything leads us to believe that unfortunately Denis Allex has been executed by his captors. During the attempt to free their friend a soldier lost his life following sustained injuries and a soldier has gone missing," Jean-Yves Le Drian told a news conference.
Confusion surrounded early reports of the botched rescue of the agent, known by his code-name Denis Allex. He was captured on 14 July 2009 and last seen in a video released in October pleading for the French president to help him.
The militant Islamist group al-Shabab, which held Allex for more than three years, said Saturday that he remained alive and in their custody, as was a new captive - a French commando wounded in fighting.
Abdiqadir Mohamed Sidii, the Governor of Lower Shabelle region of Somalia told the Associated Press on Saturday that the Somali government was aware of the dawn operation and the fact that the raid caused casualties.
"We knew about the attack, NATO forces always used to contact us about the whereabouts of that agent held by the terrorists and last night did so. Almost 27 Al-Shabab fighters were killed in the attack and two Somalis who were in the same family were caught in the crossfire during the operation," said Sidii.
Al-Shabab officials said some soldiers were killed, but the group held only one dead French soldier. Later, al-Shabab released a statement saying that Allex "remains safe and far from the location of the battle." The statement said there would be a verdict in his case in two days.
man's family was rescued.


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