Algeria: acts of violence claim the life of 1900 persons in 2001
A statistics drawn according to official and media information said that acts of violence in Algeria in 2001 resulted in killing 1900 persons, including 600 Islamists and 4 Russians. The acts of violence in 2000 resulted in killing 2700 persons in the country, according to a similar statistics.
Since its beginning in 1992 the outcome of the acts of violence in Algeria are 100,000 killings, one million victims ( displaced or wounded ) and a material loss estimated at USD 20 billion.
Certain parties and the press say that 150,000 persons were killed not only 100,000.
The Algerian minister of the Interior Yazid Zarhouni said that almost 4880 persons were considered " missing " in the said acts of violence.
The first four months of 2001 were the most awful with more than 1000 killings especially with the killing of 330 persons including 206 Islamists in March 2001.
The acts of violence receded with the demonstrations held in al-Qabayel area ( to the east of Algiers) between April and June. Such a recession became stable following September 11 attacks against the US.
The greatest event took place on January 26, 2002 when 40 members of the Algerian security forces were killed and 38 wounded by armed Islamists at clashes in Raas al-Ish, 70 Kms to the south of Teiseh ( 630 km to the east of Algiers.
Four Russian were killed on January 8 in a wood near Annabah ( 600 Km to the east of the capital) Their killing was attributed to gun Islamists. A matter which returned back fears of assassinating foreigners in Algeria.
March of 2001 witnessed a bloody end with the killing of more than 40 persons within one week to the west of Algiers. Other 18 persons were shot on March 12 in two massacres in Teibaza and al-Afroun ( 70 Km to the west of Algiers.) The Algerian security forces killed 50 Islamists in an operation carried out on March 10 in Bu Taleb mountain in Steif area ( 300 Km to the east of Algiers).
Armed Islamists on February 10 slaughtered 27 persons near al-Barghaweyah ( 120 Km to the south of Algiers), while 25 persons were killed on January 27 by an armed Islamic group in al-Shalf district ( 200 Km to the west of Algiers and other 23 on January 18, 2001.
The recent greatest massacres were carried out on September 28 in al-Arbe'yaa ( 20 Km to the south of the capital) when 22 persons were killed in a wedding. On December 6, near Ein al-Defleh ( 160 Km to the west of the capital) when an armed group attacked a village and this resulted in killing 17 persons.