Officials said the border between Algeria and Morocco has been tense in
late July. They said at least one Moroccan Border Guard officer was killed
in an attack from neighboring Algeria on Morocco's eastern province of
Jerada.
"The four armed individuals came from the Algerian territory and
introduced themselves as Algerian holy warriors to a Moroccan citizen in
Oulad Amer village, near Touisit Boubker in the province of Jerada, with the
aim of getting food supplies," the Moroccan Interior Ministry said.
Also In This Edition
The ministry said the attack by the suspected Al Qaida cell took place
on July 21. The attackers were said to have fled back to Algeria.
"After the shooting, the armed intruders succeeded in fleeing toward
Algerian territory, leaving behind traces of blood," the ministry said on
July 22.
This marked the first attack on Morocco from Algeria in 2011. Officials
said Algeria has rejected formal requests for cooperation in
counter-insurgency amid the expansion of operations by Al Qaida Organization
in the Islamic Maghreb.
Officials said Morocco has reinforced security along its border with
Algeria amid the revolt in Libya. They said the North African kingdom has
been closely monitoring the flow of weapons from the Libyan military to
AQIM, based in Algeria, Mauritania and Mali.
Algeria has also rejected Moroccan proposals for the reopening of their
border. In 1994, Morocco closed its border with Algeria following an Islamic
insurgency strike in Marrakesh, blamed on the Algerian regime.