(KUNA) -- Fourteen people, suspected of being linked to Al-Qaeda terrorist network, have been arrested Sunday by Algerian authorities west of the capital. A security source told KUNA that the busting followed tips authorities received on the whereabouts of the network's food and ammunitions unit. Three were released on bail, said the source, pointing out that members of the network were very active east of the capital Algiers.Meanwhile, Hugh Roberts, head of the International Crisis Group's North Africa project, said that information about the merging of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Fighting and Al-Qaeda was exaggerated. He told the Algerian Press Service (APS) that spreading this fact would hinder terrorist groups operating in this part of Africa, revealing that the Salafist Group has been margined in the previous years to a small number of operatives who took other aliases as attempt to misguide authorities. There was no solid evidence regarding cooperation between both terrorist groups, said Roberts, stressing that news about unity amongst terrorist groups in the North African region was clearly a sign that the Salafist Group was weakened. Attacks on civilians and avoiding operations against the police and authorities clearly indicated that the group has lost most of its powers, stated the expert.