Malian Islamists with ties to Ansar Dine announced the formation of an Ansar al Sharia group in Gao. Since April 2011, al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Sharia groups have emerged in Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, and elsewhere. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is working with Ansar al Sharia Libya to establish a base in Libya from which to attack Western targets in the region.
