New mass grave discovered in Algeria

The Algerian security men have found 70 bodies in the mass grave recently discovered in Welad Allal town near the entrance of the Algerian capital.

The Algerian daily "Liberte" said on Sunday that Algerian security and civil defense forces are still searching for more bodies, noting the difficulties of the search process due to the remains in the well where the bodies were found and the heavy rainfall.

The Algerian dailies said earlier that one member of the Armed Islamic Group had surrendered to the Algerian authorities and indicated the place of the mass grave where bodies of victims of acts of violence committed by these groups were thrown.

Meanwhile, the criminal court in Tizi Ouzou province sentenced in absentia 11 members of the Armed Islamic Group -- including one of the group's key leaders, Hassan Hattab, better known as the prince of al-Jeya for the eastern district.

On the security level, a passenger coach on Saturday was subject to extensive gun fire after its driver refused to stop at a forged blockade installed by the Armed Islamic Group at Temerjian bridge in Jejeil. The Algerian daily al-Youm said on Sunday that no passengers were hit as a result of the incident.

The Algerian daily al-Aseel said that security forces on Friday arrested two members of the Armed Islamic Group following a vast mopping-up operation in Saeeda province.

Al-Khabar daily said the armed groups also cut the throat of a young man on Friday at a forged blockade installed in Tebseh province.