Paris: The French military spokesman says French forces in Mali have arrested a French citizen who converted to Islam, took on the jihadist cause and threatened France in a video last fall.
Col Thierry Burkhard said today that Gilles Le Guen was arrested this week north of Timbuktu, the fabled city which had been his base for some two years.
Burkhard says the military was interrogating Le Guen, thought to be in his 40s, but would hand him over shortly to Malian forces. He could eventually be expelled to France.
Le Guen appeared in a video last fall wearing a black turban and assault rifle at his side, threatening France if it intervened in Mali to chase out religious radicals. France sent troops to Mali in January.
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