Three al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb fighters were killed by Algerian security forces in the town of Tadmait in Tizi Ouzou province. Killed were Abdelmoumen Rachid, alias Abu Hodeifa Younis, the leader of AQIM’s military operations; the former Emir of the phalanx (central region of Algeria), “Ali Bin Abi Taleb”; and their driver. The exchange of fire occurred at a military checkpoint hastily established after a tip-off from Algiers about their movements.
