CAIRO (AP) — The leader of North Africa’s al-Qaida branch has offered training and weapons to Nigeria’s Muslims to fight the Christians there following an outbreak of sectarian violence.
Abdelmalek Droukdel, leader of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site Monday, accused the Nigeria’s Christians of killing hundreds of Muslims in a “Crusader war.”
Droukdel promised to train Muslim youths, supply them with weapons and equipment.
He told Muslims to “push your sons” to be the vanguard of the fighters in defense of the Muslims’ blood.
Violence between Christians and Muslims in central Nigeria left 326 people dead late last month.
Al-Qaida in North Africa operates mainly in Algeria, but has carried out attacks throughout northern Africa.
