Saturday, February 9, 2008

Al Qaeda In Algeria Ambushes and Kills 8 Algerian Police


Algeria, if you haven't noticed by now, you are in a war. Al Qaeda's jihadists have Algeria squarely in their sights and two days ago, a convoy of Algerian police and security forces were ambushed with 8 police being killed. It's been apparent that al Qaeda has tried to reel in all islamic jihad groups across norther Africa to begin the chaos and takeover of those countries - from Morocco to Somalia. The al Qaeda group in Algeria, namely the Al Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, has been the most organized and lethal. This is also the same jihadist group that attacked the Israeli embassy in Mauritania the past week.
It is apparent that this group is being funded well and that with the incursion into Mauritania, they have designs on spreading their terror well outside of Algeria.

Side note: Notice below how Reuter's continues to label these al Qaeda groups in their headlines as "rebels." Wouldn't want to call a spade a spade, huh Reuter's?

Here's the full story.


Algeria rebels ambush and kill 8 soldiers

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist rebels killed eight paramilitary gendarmes when they ambushed their convoy in eastern Algeria, a security source said on Friday.
The ambush on Thursday night was the deadliest attack in Algeria since December 11 when 37 people, including 17 United Nations staff, were killed in a double suicide bombing in the capital Algiers, according to the government.
The attack on the gendarmes occurred at Draa Argayen hamlet in the desert province of El Oued, some 500 km (300 miles) southeast of Algiers, the source said.
"Seven gendarmes were killed on the ambush spot while another gendarme succumbed to his wounds later on," the source said, without giving more details.
Authorities were not immediately available for comment on the ambush and no group has claimed responsibility for it.
Al Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, previously known as Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), claimed responsibility for the December bombings, which hit U.N. offices and a court building.
Violence broke out in Algeria in 1992 after the military-backed authorities scrapped a parliamentary election that an Islamist political party, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), was set to win.
Up to 200,000 people were killed in the ensuing bloodshed.
Violence had fallen since the 1990s, but a spate of suicide bombings in and around Algiers has killed scores in the past 18 months since the GSPC changed its name and declared allegiance to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

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