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| North Africa |
| Algeria Says It Frees 17 Missing European Tourists in Raid |
| 2003-05-14 |
| More details coming in: Algerian army commandos freed 17 European tourists kidnapped in the Sahara Desert by an al-Qaida-linked terror group, while German and Austrian officials expressed concern about the 15 tourists still captive. The hostages were freed in a gun battle that killed nine captors. The clash lasted several hours, with army units trading gunfire with about 10 hostage-takers armed with assault rifles in the desert about 1,200 miles south of Algiers. The report said the Army found two groups of captives, using reconnaissance planes equipped with thermal vision gear. The 17 were in a group freed early Tuesday. The military planned another operation to rescue the second group, believed to be in a location several hundred miles away in the desert mountains. It was unclear whether the second operation had taken place. The army said the Salafist Group for Call and Combat was responsible for kidnapping the travelers. Algerian news reports have said three Saudi envoys of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden met with a top leader of the Salafist Group in December. We heard about that. The tourists started disapearing soon after. Coincidence? The Algerian group, known by the French-language acronym GSPC, is one of two main insurgency movements still fighting to topple Algeria's military-backed government and install an Islamic state. Officials in Germany, Austria and Sweden confirmed the release of 10 Austrians, six Germans and a Swede, who were expected to return home Wednesday. The official news agency APS quoted the military as saying the 17 freed hostages were "safe and sound." However, officials refused to comment on the circumstances of their release, citing concerns about the safety of the remaining 15 hostages — 10 Germans, four Swiss and one Dutch. "We remain highly concerned about those still in the hands of the hostage-takers," German government spokesman Thomas Steg said. "We are concentrating our efforts on them." German Interior Minister Otto Schily said "there is hope" the remaining hostages "will be free soon." |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 For those who do not know, "Salafi" is how Wahabbi refer to themselves. Also "Muwahiddun." |
| Posted by: John Anderson 2003-05-14 16:25:44 |