Algerian crisis deadlocked - first time use of rockets
Algeria, Military, 10/7/1997

In spite of the truce reached between the Algerian government and the Islamic Salvation Army, massacres continued to occur through the past week in the Algerian capital and the city of Wahran. The city of Belida, 40 kilometers south of the capital, was attacked with rockets which killed 6 and injured 45.

Unprecedented terror and chaos dominated the city after the two and half hour shellings. People ran and gathered in the main stadium. Government sirens whistled in a nearby military area hit by the rockets. A government helicopter could not specify the place where the rockets were launched from.

Other shellings left more than 200 people killed and injured in 4 streets, Zenket El Bay, Awel November, Bab El Wazir, and Sidi Yacoub. It was the first time since the armed groups started their struggle against the government that they used rockets. Sources confirmed that outside powers provided these groups with arms.

Other sources believed that those guns were provided with ammunitions made by the groups called "Al Habhab."

Commentators thought that the ammunition was stolen from the government. They think that replacing Gen. Said Bay with Gen Rashid Bin Gaba who represented the government in the talks with the armed groups had to do with these shellings.

The army intervened quickly in the massacres in Bonayan, Baladiate Bin Shico where 15 people were killed, and in Dawar Awlad Bin Eissa in the Medea province where 22 people were killed.

Previous Stories:
  At least killed 88 people in Algeria   (10/6/1997)
  Six people killed in Algeria   (10/2/1997)
  Positive developments in the Algerian crisis   (10/2/1997)

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