Algeria to secure beaches
2008-06-19 11:02
Algeria - Some 1 000 police officers are being mobilised in Algiers to ensure that its beaches are safe from attack from Islamist extremists, police said on Wednesday.
Gendarmes in the north African nation - a prime tourist destination before it was gripped by civil strife in the 1990s - are mapping out a plan to secure 25 of the capital region's 47 official beaches.
Police commander Mohamed Hamiti, head of the gendarmerie's public security branch, said three helicopters would also be assigned to beach duty.
Beach enthusiasts are regarded as a prime target for armed Islamist groups which notably oppose women wearing bathing suits in public.
In recent years, no attacks have occured on Algerian beaches, which have remained under tight security throughout the summer holiday season.
Last weekend, the north African branch of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a bomb attack east of Algiers on June 8 that killed two people, including a French engineer.