A Sept. 6 suidice bombing in Batna, southeastern Algeria, left 22 dead and over 100 injured. The attack came just 40 minutes before a visit to the town by President Bouteflika. (North Africa Journal [2], Sept. 7) The attack came a day after security forces bombed a suspected militant hideout in a cave near Lagla el-Malha, a village in the conflicted eastern Tebessa region. The seven killed were suspected of carrying out an ambush Sept. 3 that killed five security officials and one civilian in the town of Henchir El-Hoshas. In July and August at least 80—mostly said to be armed militants—were killed in clashes in the region. (AP [3], Sept. 6)
See our last posts on Algeria [4].
