Algerian counter-terrorism forces on Saturday
killed three armed militants, including an explosive expert in the
province of Tizi Ouzou, 120km east of Algiers.
“National Army troops on Saturday morning shot down three terrorists,
including an explosive expert, following an ambush that was set in the
woods of Sid Ali Bounab, near Tademait in Tizi Ouzou,” said a statement
of the Defense Ministry.
The source noted that the operation is still underway, as three
Kalashnikov submachine guns, a quantity of ammunition, explosive
manufacturing tools and three mobile phones were retrieved.
Last Thursday, a militant wearing an explosive belt was killed when
he was heading to Maatkas in Tizi Ouzou to target a police station
there, detectives said.
In recent days, joint security forces have been on alert, especially
after homemade rockets attacked two weeks ago a gas field in the south
of the country, without causing casualties.
The attack was taken seriously, as President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
convened an urgent meeting with top government and army officials to
discuss the security situation.