Killings continue in Algeria

Algerian dailies issued on Thursday said that three persons were killed and a fourth was seriously wounded on Tuesday and Wednesday in attacks said to be carried out by armed Islamists.

The Algerian daily Liberte said one young man was killed and another was wounded on Wednesday when an explosive went off near a swimming pool while they were swimming in Blida (50 km south of the capital). The paper added that another young man (22) was killed by gunmen in Constantine (400 km east of the capital).

The Algerian daily al-Watan said that a man at his 60s was killed while harvesting his field in al-Marsa in Chlef district ( 200 km west of the capital).

The paper also reported that the security forces killed Muhammad Ade, known as Noah, one of the Armed Islamic Group's princes from Tiaret district, and two of his bodyguards on Monday night in Seidi al-Ajel.

Al-Watan added said the security forces killed seven armed men in the recent days in Khenchela (500 km southern east the Capital), while Liberte said that 10 armed Islamists were killed in Batna district (400 km to the east).

On Wednesday the Algerian daily Wahran said that the Algerian army on Monday launched a vast campaign against armed Islamists in Chlef district, using helicopters and heavy artillery.

Meanwhile, the Algerian official news agency said that the criminal court in Bouira, 120 km to the east of the capital, on Wednesday sentenced to death 19 persons, 15 of them sentenced in absentia.

Those persons were accused of being members of terrorist groups, encouraging terrorist acts and attempting to demolish state buildings, taking part in mass killing operations and conspiracies targeting the state's security.