16 Killed in On-going Violence in Algeria

01/04/2001| IslamWeb

ALGIERS, (Islamweb & Agencies) -Sixteen people were murdered by an armed group overnight near Khemis Miliana, 120 kilometers (85 miles) west of Algiers, security services announced.
More than 110 people have been killed by suspected so-called militant Islamists across the country since the beginning of June, according to a toll compiled by authorities and the media.
They included some 40 members of Algeria's security apparatus.
The killings took place in an area of western Algeria, where the feared armed Islamic group GIA is known to be active.The announcement by the Algerian security services said the 16 were assassinated in a cowardly fashion by what was described as a terrorist group. It gave no other details.
Massacres attributed to GIA often appear to be at random, with victims generally selected from among travellers on country roads or poor villagers in outlying areas.
Very little is understood about the strategy of the GIA, and the Algerian authorities have so far shed no light on any of the thousands of killings routinely blamed on the group.
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Violence has continued around Algiers despite tight security
Despite the government amnesty offered two years ago to armed militants who surrendered to the authorities, violence has not ended.Recently, attacks blamed on Islamic groups have been overshadowed by sustained waves of riots and anti-government demonstrations which started in the Berber-speaking region of Kabylie and was echoed elsewhere in the country.