A court in Tizi Ouzou sentenced eight men to death and six others to terms of more than 20 years in prison for kidnapping, ransom, murder, and other crimes; six of those sentenced are linked to al Qaeda. Tizi Ouzou has been a hub of al Qaeda activity.
The Whiff of Conflict Grows in a Divided Mali
Al Qaeda militants ambushed a bus carrying Algerian soldiers in the eastern part of the country and killed two of them. The soldiers were executed to retaliate for the recent death of Boualem Bekai, a.k.a. Khaled al-Mig, reportedly the “number two” leader of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, who was killed by the Algerian […]
Boualem Bekai, a.k.a. Khaled El Mig, a key al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb official who led militants in the Akfadou area and also served as head of foreign relations for AQIM, is said to have been killed by the Algerian military. Reports say he died on Oct. 12 in an ambush near Azrou in […]
Algeria caught in quandary over Mali crisis
Security forces identified the suicide bomber in an attack in Ouargla in June as Abdessamia Bouzidi. He was wanted on terrorism charges and joined the jihadists in Mali. The Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, an AQIM offshoot, claimed the attack.
Security forces disrupted an al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb network that was training Algerians to fight with Islamist terror groups in Libya. AQIM was training 27 fighters, who were to be deployed to Benghazi and Bani Walid.
Mali prepares for war with Islamists despite reticent neighbours
Jihadists from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya have been killed while fighting in Syria for the Al Furqan Battalion, with operates with the al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front.
Diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria ‘nearly impossible’, says new UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi
The Defense Ministry said that security forces in Algeria killed 10 al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb operatives during two raids. A commander known as Boubeker Zemmouri, and eight other fighters were killed in Jebel Djerrah; another fighter was killed in a nearby village.
Algerian helicopter gunships killed six suspected fighters from the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa as they attempted to enter the country from Mali. The military is boosting security along the border with Mali.
The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa said that “Algeria will be subject to all the consequences” after the government rejected a plan for a hostage swap. The group threatened to kill an Algerian diplomat if Abd Arrahmane Abu Ishak and several other “brothers” are not freed in five days.
Algerian imams engage militants in dialogue
Necib Tayeb, the top judge in al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, was detained while traveling to patch up differences between feuding factions within the terror group. Weapons, ammunition, and documents were also seized along with Tayeb and two other fighters.
Security forces arrested an al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb leader and two fighters in Berriane. Necib Tayeb, the AQIM leader, is said to be a longtime official and currently serves on the judicial shura.
Security forces arrested two suspected al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb operatives at the Libyan border. The fighters, a Libyan and an Algerian, were carrying weapons and an “explosive belt” and had Afghan identity papers.
Security forces said they broke up a plot to attack the Cherchell Joint Military Academy. Police arrested a 16-year-old suspect who said he was tasked by Houmat Al Daawa, a Salafist group, to scout for a suicide attack.
Who is Ansar Dine?
Al Qaeda’s richest faction dominant in north Mali: US
Algerian Government Investigates Movement of Jihadists Into Syria
Spain evacuated foreign aid workers from refugee camps in Tindouf in western Algeria due to “growing insecurity” caused by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in northern Mali. Twelve Spaniards, two Frenchmen, and an Italian are being flown to Madrid.
Italy: Freed aid worker Rossella Urru quizzed by prosecutors
The Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa has freed two Spanish and an Italian hostage. The three aid workers were kidnapped in Tindouf, Algeria in October 2011. A man who was arrested in connection with the kidnapping was freed by the Algerian government.
Destroying Timbuktu: The Jihadist who Inspires the Demolition of the Shrines
Arab Envoys Rebuked for Denying Prize Money to Algerian Writer
The interior minister said that the military has killed 18 al Qaeda fighters in Tizi Ouzou province in the Kabylia region over the past two weeks. The minister said terror cells in the mountainous region are supported by local residents.
Algerian military forces engaged in a firefight with al Qaeda fighters in the Kabylia region, killing 12 militants and seizing weapons including rockets. The militants are believed to have carried out a recent attack on police barracks in Ouacifs.
Armed men killed two policemen and wounded three civilians in an attack on police barracks in Ouacifs. The town is near Tizi Ouzou, where al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is known to operate.
Death in Libya Shows Problems With Loose Weapons