One of Algeria’s most prominent militant has criticised an Al Qaeda-linked guerrilla group for continuing its fight for an Islamic state, according to a statement faxed to journalists yesterday.

Hassan Hattab, a founder of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), called on its members to accept a government amnesty under which they can lay down their guns in return for immunity from prosecution.

Although Algeria has succeeded in containing a long, bloody Islamist insurgency that erupted in 1992, rebels still carry out sporadic attacks on civilians and security services. Officials estimate that up to 800 rebels, most of them GSPC members, are still at large.

Hattab, also known as Abu Hamza, said in the statement that he no longer regarded those guerrillas still fighting to be members of the organisation he founded, because their actions would harm Muslims.

“The GSPC dissociates itself from this small group ... a group that still refuses to lay down arms ... Any statement that is not signed by Hassan Hattab should not be taken into consideration,” the statement said. There was no way of confirming the authenticity of the statement. But the wording and method of distribution was similar to Hattab’s previous messages.....

Top Algerian Islamist slams Qaeda group, urges peace