| Islamic extremists attacked a bus on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, killing 13 people aboard and injuring nine. Five or six men attacked the bus on Friday night in the town of Eucalyptus, about 12 miles south of Algiers. The area, and the Mitidja Plain to the south, were long controlled by the Armed Islamic Group, blamed for large-scale massacres there. Security forces were thought to have largely cleaned up the area over the past two years. The Friday night attack was the third deadly assault on a bus in the last three weeks, and there was speculation that it might signal a new strategy by the Armed Islamic Group’s new leader, Rachid Abou Tourab. Abou Tourab replaced Antar Zouabri, who was killed by security forces in February. |