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| Africa: North |
| Algeria seizes large amount of arms from Islamists |
| 2004-02-03 |
| Algerian security police seized a large amount of arms from militants of the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), which is a major source of support and recruitment for al-Qaeda operations. According to the Algerian Armed Forces’ General Staff, the Islamists paid for the arms with money they received as ransom for 30 western tourists taken hostages in Sahara by GSPC men in February-March 2003. Algerian commandos liberated a group of the hostages. The second group was moved to Mali and set free after a large ransom was paid to the bandits. TV networks showed seized heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, some 200 Kalashnikov assault rifles, rifles with telescopic sites and a large amount of ammunition. Algerian media also report Tuesday new acts of terrorism staged by Islamists against peaceful residents during the sacrificial Moslem festival of Id el-Adha. Two people were massacred in the district of Jijelli, two others were beheaded by bandits south of Skikda province. Several people were gravely wounded. |
| Posted by:TS |