Nouakchott, Mauritania - Mauritanian security guards accidentally shot and wounded a French citizen early Friday in the capital Nouakchott, the local news agency ANI reported.

The French advisor to the Mauritanian army had driven past the guards' base near the presidential palace, breaking the security rules and prompting the guards to open fire, a spokesman for the security forces said.

Other guards heard the shots and responded. The exchange of fire was not believed to have injured anyone but the Frenchman, whose condition was not serious.

The Frenchman was on his way to a meeting with a Mauritanian officer.

The incident followed the deaths of a police officer and a suspected Islamist extremist in an unrelated shootout 10 days ago.

Security concerns have increased in the north-west African desert country since the killing of four French tourists by suspected Islamists in December.

The killing contributed to the cancellation of the Lisbon-Dakar rally. (dpa)