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GSPC sez they killed Algerian troops
n messages posted to Islamic websites, Algeria's main rebel group, the al- Qaeda-aligned Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) has claimed responsibility for bloody bomb attacks on Sunday in two different locations. A total of 12 soldiers died and 7 were injured. In the worst of the two attacks, a bomb exploded on a road near the town of Khenchela, east of the capital Algiers, as an Algerian army truck was passing. Rebels then opened machinegun fire, killing 12 soldiers. One militant was killed in the attack.In a separate attack in in the eastern province of Skikda, militants detonated a home-made bomb as a military patrol was passing, injuring 7 soliders, according to Algerian officials. According to a GSPC statement, the militants killed two soliders and wounded five more. Sunday's attacks on government troops were the worst in months, the leading Arabic-language newspaper El Khabar reported. In the last few weeks, government forces have launched a major manhunt in Islamic strongholds in eastern and western Algeria. Security experts were quoted as saying by Reuters that GSPC has intensified its attacks to sabotage a general amnesty expected to be offered to rebels and members of the armed forces this year. Despite the recent flare-up, extremist violence has tailed off sharply in the past few years, bringing back much needed investment to the country. The GSPC denied responsibility for an infamous roadblock massacre of 14 people south of the capital on 13 April. The group, along with the other principal militant group, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), is the main police suspect for the killings. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-05-17 |
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