20/11/2007
Bouderbala Fateh (a.k.a. Abdelfatah Abou Bassir), the head of the Algiers branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, was arrested with two of his accomplices, Algerian security forces said Monday (November 19th). A tip from local residents led to the raid, during which security forces seized some 800 kg of explosives, a rocket, 20 detonators and two bombs concealed in children’s rucksacks.
According to Echourouk, three other members of the GSPC were killed in the last few weeks, including Sofiane Fassila (a.k.a. Abu Heidara), a prominent terrorist leader in Algiers, Samir Saayoud Samir and Sideali Rachid (a.k.a. Ali Dix), an influential military adviser in the GSPC.
In related news, 121 quintals of farming fertilisers recently stolen from a warehouse in Ain Timouchent province were allegedly meant for making terrorist bombs. Preliminary investigations led to the arrest of 13 suspects, including the warehouse manager, who denied the charges.
Reuters reports that heightened army and security operations against al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb hideouts have led to both a drop in the death toll from political violence and greater terrorist casualties.