CAIRO — After months of relative quiet, Islamic insurgents have
struck Algeria.
At least 13 people were killed when suspected Al Qaida-aligned fighters
ambushed a government convoy in a desert region of Algeria. The April 7
attack
in Ghardaia, 700 kilometers south of Algiers, targeted customs agents on
their way to a seminar in Ouargla.
Algerian security sources blamed the Al Qaida-aligned Salafist Brigade
for Combat and Call. The sources said the Salafists have been operating in
Ghardaia in southern Algeria.
Algerian media reports said the attackers ambushed the convoy in two
four-wheel-drive vehicles. Shouting "God is great," the insurgents opened
fire with automatic weapons, killed the customs agents and burned the
government cars. The insurgents also seized weapons from the
convoy.
Two regional officials, one of whom was killed, were in the convoy to
Ouargla, 1,600 kilometers
from Algiers. Eight of the customs officers were injured.
Over the last few months, the Salafist Brigade encountered a series of
setbacks, including the surrender or capture of several major operatives.
Security sources said about 700 Salafists remained active in the Islamic
insurgency war against Algiers.
In March, Algeria released more than 1,400 Islamic insurgents as part of
an amnesty offer. At the time, officials raised the prospect of a release of
major Salafist operatives.
