People in the Mauritanian capital began returning to the streets on Tuesday as government forces searched for rebels still hiding out after a coup attempt. President Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya returned early on Tuesday to his palace in Nouakchott, which briefly fell to the rebels during the most violent attempt to seize power since the country won independence from France in 1960. Residents of the capital, contacted by telephone, say soldiers have been removing the wreckage of tanks destroyed during the fighting. There is no word on the fate of suspected coup leader Sala Ould Hananna, who had been fired from the army after reportedly expressing opposition to Mauritania’s ties with Israel. The coup came after the arrest of 32 Islamists charged with threatening national security. Full Story