Acts of violence continue in Algeria

The Algerian papers said on Tuesday that five persons including three security forces members were killed by gunmen.

The papers added that the gunmen killed one soldier and one civilian taking part in a mopping-up operation in a sector near Jejil, 300 km east of the capital, Algiers.

This sector has come under the control of the armed group for the "Islamic call and fighting," led by Hassan Hattab, after it had been deployed by gunmen led by Madani Marzouq, the armed wing of the Islamic Salvation Front whose fighters have been obliged to a truce since 1997. Those fighters were pardoned in January. Hattab's organization rejects the "national concord policy" put forth by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Meanwhile, the Algerian daily Oran said that two shepherds were killed in Sedi Hamid in Saida province, 450 km Southwest of the capital.

The gunmen cut the heads of the two shepherds after killing them.

Last Sunday, one soldier died of wounds following an attack against him in Bouira district, 120 km southeast of the capital, according to the Algerian daily al-Akhbar.

Other dailies said that 35 gunmen were killed in total during mopping-up operations carried out by the army for the past 15 days in El Bayadh district, 500 km, southwest of the capital, following a massacre in which 30 persons were killed in the same area at the end of February.