19 Islamists killed in Algeria
2006-06-26 14:24
Algiers - The Algerian army on Sunday killed 19 armed suspected Islamists, according to reports on Monday.
The army, backed by police, used heavy artillery and rockets fired from helicopters in an operation against suspected Islamists in the Edough mountains near Annaba, 600km east of Algiers.
Officials refused to confirm or deny details of the military operation, which reportedly targeted a triangle between the villages of Ain Barbar, Romanatte and Toumiat and left eight soldiers wounded.
The deaths bring the number of people killed since the start of the latest unrest in Algeria to 53, including 27 suspected Islamists, according to official reports and the press.
Escalation in violence
Violence blamed on armed Islamist groups opposed to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's policy of national reconciliation has escalated since the start of June.
Such incidents are blamed on the rebel Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), said to be linked to al-Qaeda.
On June 21 seven soldiers were killed when their convoy was ambushed by an armed Islamist group in Bouira in Kabylie, 120km east of Algiers.
On June 20, five civilians were murdered by an armed group in Blida, 50km south of Algiers.
Over 150 000 people have been killed since the start of the unrest in Algeria in 1992, according to official figures.