Gunmen kill 88 farmers in Algeria

88 people were massacred in villages south of the Algerian capital, many by having their throats slit, witnesses and hospital sources said on August 3.

In Sidi el Madani, near the Blida region, 38 people were killed overnight on August 1, witnesses said.

At the same time, 48 others—including 11 children and two pregnant women—had their throats slit in the village of Matmata, 150 km south of the capital, hospital sources said.

"The Mehal family has lost 25 of its members," said one witness who escaped the killing in Matmata. He said the victims had been tied up before being killed, and their homes were set on fire.