Attack on French Embassy in Mali Wounds 2

Security officials in Mali say two people were wounded Wednesday when a man threw an explosive device at the gate of the French embassy in Bamako.

Police said the man they arrested for the attack says he is a Tunisian citizen and a member of al-Qaida.

Security guards at the embassy said a man fired shots and threw an explosive device at the embassy gate.

Malian police officials said the device was a gas cylinder.

Witnesses said the wounded are both Malian.

The north African branch of al-Qaida operates across the Sahel region, along the margins of the Sahara Desert, and has staged a number of bombings and kidnappings in recent years.