Al-Qaeda 's North African branch , al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb ( AQIM ) , threatened Warning retribution against the Shia Muslim group , saying Telling in a statement Statement that it knew Know `` with certainty '' that Hezbollah was responsible for the attack .

It was one of many attacks Attack in the Maghreb carried out Action by Islamist groups since 2002 .

The Muslim conquest Conquering of the Maghreb ( ) continued the century of rapid Muslim conquests Conquering following the death Death of Muhammad in 632 AD and into the Byzantine-controlled territories of Northern Africa .

In a series of three stages , the conquest Conquering of the Maghreb commenced Process_start in 647 and concluded Process_end in 709 with the `` Byzantine '' Roman Empire losing Earnings_and_losses its last remaining Presence strongholds to the then-Umayyad Caliphate .

By the 16th century , the Ottomans had become Becoming a serious threat to the European powers , with Ottoman ships sweeping away Venetian possessions in the Aegean and Ionian seas and Ottoman-supported Barbary pirates seizing Spanish possessions in the Maghreb .

The Al-Qaeda group in the Maghreb is the group claiming Statement responsibility for these two attacks Terrorism .

The Insurgency in the Maghreb refers to Islamist militant and terrorist Terrorism activity in the Maghreb and Sahel regions of North Africa since 2002 .

The Insurgency in the Maghreb refers to Islamist militant and terrorist Terrorism activity in the Maghreb and Sahel regions of North Africa since 2002 .

The conflict succeeded the conclusion of the Algerian Civil War as the militant group Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ( GSPC ) allied Collaboration itself with al-Qaeda to eventually become Becoming al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( AQIM ) .

Afterwards , the MNLA began Process_start fighting Hostile_encounter against Ansar Dine and other Islamist groups , including Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa ( MOJWA/MUJAO ) , a splinter group of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb .