08/10/2008
Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb fired one of its top leaders for refusing to launch suicide attacks in Algeria, Algerian newspaper Ennahar El Jadid reported on Tuesday (October 7th). Rachid Zerami, alias Abou El hassan Errachid, headed the terror group's committee for religious affairs. Since 2007, Zerami's committee was responsible for issuing fatwas ordering suicide attacks in Algeria, the article said. A former member of the Armed Islamic Group, Abu Assim, was appointed to replace Zerami.
According to a terrorist who surrendered to Algerian authorities last week, Zerami was fired for expressing reservations about al-Qaeda suicide attacks and kidnapping operations. Security forces in Kabylie attribute several kidnappings in recent months of wealthy businessmen or their children to armed Islamist groups.
In related news, a suspected terrorist was arrested in the centre of Algiers with a quantity of explosives, El Khabar reported on Wednesday (October 8th). The unidentified man was allegedly planning a suicide attack in the capital.