The Algerian military has killed the leader of an rebel organisation with suspected ties with al Qaeda, the army said on Sunday, dealing a significant blow to north Africa's top militant group.
"Units of the People's National Army, engaged in a vast anti-terrorist operation...have killed a number of criminals, including Nabil Sahraoui, alias Mustapha Abou Ibrahim, chief of the terrorist group known as the GSPC, as well as his (three) main aides," the army said in a statement obtained by Reuters.
It said the militants died in the province of Bejaia, some 200 km (120 miles) east of the capital Algiers. It did not say when they were killed, but said the military operation was still going on.
The death of Sahraoui, who established links with al Qaeda after taking over the leadership a year ago, was expected to significantly weaken the GSPC (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) - the only remaining major rebel organisation still fighting Algeria's secular authorities.
GSPC is believed to be north Africa's largest militant groups, with an estimated 500 armed members. The group, which had claimed responsibility for kidnapping 32 European tourists in the Sahara desert last year, is on the US list of foreign terrorist organisations.
Algeria's President Abelaziz Bouteflika has made it a priority to crush militants bent on turning the Arab country into a Taleban-style Muslim state and has gradually brought the oil-rich north African country out of international isolation.
Comments
Comments are closed.