Seven civilians killed in Algeria

Armed groups in Algeria on Monday night killed seven citizens in Tezi town in Mu'askar province, 360 km from the Algerian capital. A statement by Algerian security said that security forces started a vast mopping-up operation "in search of the criminals who committed this crime."

Meanwhile, Algerian security forces on Monday killed five members of the armed groups in Fokah town in Tebazah province. The Algerian daily al-Khabar said on Tuesday that the gunmen were leaders of the armed "al-Fida" group which specialized in assassinating political and intellectual figures.

The Algerian daily al-Alam al-Seyasi said that security forces arrested one armed group member on Monday. Two others fled while they were planning to implant three bombs in the main street in Hajout town of Tebazah province, 70 km from the capital Algiers.

On Sunday, Algerian security forces killed two armed group members in Farnan Hanafi street in the capital Algiers, a third was arrested and a fourth was able to escape. The paper also indicated that security forces had besieged the armed groups in al-Awras area.