Algeria hit by surge in guerrilla violence

[Al-khiyal]

ALGIERS, May 13 (KUNA) -- Algerian security forces arrested four terrorists on Sunday at Ghamrasa in Yasr Municipality, east of Boumerdes Province, 54 kilometers east of Algiers.

The arrested terrorists were part of a terrorist cell that managed to flee Algerian army crackdowns in the province several weeks ago, an Algerian security source was quoted as saying.

The arrest came after Algerian security forces managed to dismantle a seven-member support network for terrorist groups in Boumerdes Province within the framework of the large-scale manhunt launched by Algerian army units in Zamouri and Si Mostafa in the province last Wednesday, the source added.

Four terrorists arrested in Algeria

[Al-khiyal]

AIT YAHIA MOUSSA , Algeria (AFP) - Nine armed Islamist extremists have been killed since Thursday in Kabylia, in the east of Algeria, in clashes with the military in the run-up to legislative elections, local sources told AFP.

Two of the Islamists, both aged under 25, were killed Saturday, said a merchant in Ait Yahia Moussa, a village about 20 kilometres (15 miles) from Tizi Ouzou, in an area rife with extremists.

Four others were killed near Isser village after they were pursued by security forces from Ait Yahia Moussa, where they had been encircled along with 30 or so other militants, villagers said.

On Thursday, three Islamists were killed in the same area by the military, which has been carrying out operations for several days, ahead of parliamentary elections on Thursday, local residents said.

"A terrorist group has been encircled for several days," one resident said, with Touati Athmane, alias Abou el-Abbas, former deputy chief in Kabylia of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) said to be among them.

Some 30 military vehicles were seen a few kilometres (miles) from Ait Yahia Moussa, and soldiers had taken over a building at the entrance of the community.

The GSPC rebranded itself in January as the North African wing of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, and last month claimed responsiblity for suicide bombings in the capital Algiers that claimed 30 lives.

Abou el-Abbas was demoted by GSPC leader Abdelamlek Droudkel, alias Moussaab Abdelwadoud, for having criticized the bombings which targeted the Algerian government and police, and which left 220 injured.

Nine Islamists killed in Algeria fighting

[Al-khiyal]

Three soldiers, among them a major, have been killed after being ambushed by a terrorist group west of Skikda. Local sources reported that the terrorists, said to be member of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, exploded a bomb when an army forces patrol was passing, killing three soldiers and wounding three others.

The same sources mentioned that these operations are the terrorists' attempt to annoy the legislative elections in the region in parallel with security services efforts to besiege the region and secure the way for voters in the isolated areas.

It is noteworthy that security services started large scale raking operations in the neighbouring forests. These operations make the hypothesis about the existence of bomb manufacturing workshops in the terrorist fiefdoms prevail.

In addition, two soldiers have been wounded in Boumerdès after the explosion of a bomb. The two soldiers were in a patrol attacked by terrorists during a raking operation.

3 soldiers killed in a terrorist ambush and bomb attack

Trois militaires tués dont un commandant

[Al-khiyal]

Lundi 14 mai 2007 -- La grande opération de ratissage déclenchée mardi dernier a pris fin hier, avec la neutralisation de la totalité des terroristes, à leur tête, un émir, Abou Laâbas, qui activait dans la région de Boumerdès. Le groupe terroriste, qui s’est réfugié depuis quelques jours dans la forêt d’Aït Yahia Moussa, dans la wilaya de Tizi Ouzou, était composé de 17 éléments.

Durant les trois premiers jours du ratissage, sept membres du groupe, qui avaient pris la fuite vers la localité des Issers dans la wilaya de Boumerdes, ont été arrêtés. Un huitième terroriste a, quant à lui, été tué, rappelons-le, jeudi dernier suite à un violent accrochage.

Selon des sources sécuritaires, les 9 autres ont été encerclés avant-hier dans les massifs d’Aït Yahia Moussa. Avant de les éliminer, nous indique-t-on, les militaires ont tenté de les ramener à la raison en utilisant un mégaphone.

Cependant, le groupe armé a rejeté l’offre et a préféré poursuivre les tirs en direction des forces de sécurité dans l’ultime espoir de prendre la fuite. Les éléments de l’ANP ont alors fermement riposté, éliminant ainsi la totalité du groupe.

Les corps des terroristes ont, par la suite, été transférés au CHU de Tizi Ouzou pour identification. Les forces de l’ANP quant à elles ont plié bagages avant-hier, dans l’après-midi. A présent, deux autres ratissages sont en cours dans les localités de Tassadort, au sud-ouest de la ville de Tizi Ouzou, et à Beni Yenni.

L’opération de ratissage d’Aït Yahia-Moussa a pris fin avant-hier :
10 terroristes abattus et 7 autres arrêtés

[Al-khiyal]

14 May 2007 -- Dozens of people have been killed over the last three days in Algeria in a fresh wave of fighting between the military and armed groups.

Violence is intensifying ahead of parliamentary elections due on 17 May.

According to local newspapers, 18 soldiers and 22 Islamist guerrillas were killed in a wave of bomb attacks and ambushes in the east.

The attacks stretched from the suburbs of Algiers to near Constantine, more than 500km away.

In one of the latest incidents on Saturday, a group of eight soldiers were killed as they were pursuing guerrillas in the mountains.

Seven soldiers were also killed and another 20 were injured in two bomb attacks in the east.

The rebels are believed to belong to an Islamist armed group that calls itself the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, the newspapers said.

The army has launched fresh offensives on rebel hideouts in several provinces since a triple suicide bombing killed 33 people in Algiers last month.

The armed forces have stepped up their search operations against the armed groups ahead of the parliamentary elections.

Security measures have being reinforced notably with road blocks and check points around the main cities.

On Monday, the leader of the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, formerly known as GSPC, called for a boycott of the elections in a statement broadcast on al-Jazeera television, which enjoys a large audience in Algeria.

In his message, Abou Moussab Abdelaouadoud, described the election as a comedy.

He added that anyone taking part in them would be committing a sin.

Despite an amnesty announced two years ago, violence in Algeria has not completely died down since its height in the mid-1990s.

Violence ahead of Algeria polls

[Al-khiyal]

ALGIERS -- An Algerian army patrol Monday killed two armed Islamist militants in an operation east of the capital, three days before the country's parliamentary elections, officials said.

A third militant was injured by the patrol which also seized several guns and transmission equipment in this operation in the Boumerdes region about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Algiers, Algeria's security services said.

Since Thursday the Algerian army reported killing another nine Islamist militants in Boumerdes and the neighboring region of Tizi Ouzou.

The latest violence has taken place in the run-up to Thursday's elections, which an Al-Qaeda-linked group has called on Algerians to boycott.

The militant Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) rebranded itself in January as a wing of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, and last month claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Algiers that claimed 30 lives.

Two Islamists killed in clashes with Algerian army

[Al-khiyal]

Un soldat a été grièvement blessé avant-hier suite à l’explosion d’une bombe artisanale, placée sur le passage de l’armée dans la région de Zbarbar au nord ouest de Bouira. Sur un autre plan les forces de sécurité combinées ont abattu deux terroristes au village de Ouanouka dans la commune des Issers à Boumerdès, elles ont récupéré leurs armes de types Kalachnikov, alors que les enquêtes se poursuivent pour les identifier.

Selon des sources sécuritaires, des terroristes ont planté une bombe sur le passage d’une patrouille de l’armée, son explosion a fait un blessé dans les rangs des soldats, qui a été par la suite conduit à l’hôpital de Lakhdaria.

Sur un autre plan les forces de sécurité combinées ont réussi à neutraliser deux terroristes lors d’une opération de ratissage qu’elles effectuaient depuis plusieurs jours, dans le but de démanteler une cellule terroriste activant dans la région qui a auparavant attaqué une patrouille de l’armée.

Un soldat blessé lors de l’explosion d’une bombe à Bouira