Nouakchott, Mauritania - Mauritanian presidential elections will take place as planned on June 6, Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi said Thursday after talks there as current African Union head.

Gaddafi arrived in Mauritania Monday seeking a deal to end the political crisis that has gripped the county since the military deposed in an August 6 coup President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

Nouakchott, Mauritania  - Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi arrived in Mauritania on Monday seeking a deal to end the political crisis that has gripped the county since Mauritanian military officers deposed the president six months ago.

Gaddafi, acting in his capacity as president of the African Union, became the highest-ranking official to seek an end to the political stalemate in Mauritania since a junta led by General Mohammed Ould Abdel-Aziz launched a successful coup against Sidi Mohammed Ould Sheikh Abdallahi in August.

Nouakchott, Mauritan

Nouakchott, Mauritania  - Members of the al-Qaeda terrorist group attacked an army patrol in the north of Mauritania, an official report released early Tuesday said.

"A patrol from our security forces resisted an attack in Tourine, 850 kilometres north of Nouakchott in the northern region of Tiris Zemmour," the report said, without stating the number of casualties.

"The assault was conducted by the extremist Salafite Group of Preaching and Combat affiliated with the al-Qaeda organization.

"The terrorist group was planning a massive attack north of the country," said the statement, exclusively released by the Mauritanian news agency.

Brussels - The European Union's top foreign-policy official on Wednesday condemned the formation of a new government by coup leaders in Mauritania, saying that it was an illegitimate move.

EU High Representative Javier Solana "condemned the formation of a new government by the military junta" on Monday and said that the move "cannot be considered as legitimate," a statement released in Brussels said.

Nouakchott, Mauritania  - The Mauritanian military junta which took power on August 6 on Monday announced the formation of a new government, the Mauritanian news agency AMI reported.

The government is headed by Moulaye Ould Mohammed Laghdaf, the former ambassador of the north-west African desert country to Brussels.

Most of the 22 ministers were regarded as backers of the coup.