Batna court remands suspects in attempted assassination

2007-10-02

A Batna court remanded 11 suspects who were arrested following the bombings that targeted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, El Khabar reported on Monday (October 1st). Twenty-two people were killed and 107 others injured in the September 6th attacks in Batna. The group includes six young men aged between 17 and 26, who were allegedly preparing to join terrorist groups in the region. Investigation reported showed that the detainees provided support to suicide bomber Houari Belezrag. Repentant terrorist Z. Walid, who is among the arrested suspects, is believed to be the group’s leader and mastermind of the operation.

In related news, an army major and six other security personnel and a civilian were injured on Monday in an explosion in Mizrana, Tigzirt district, El Khabar and El Watan report. The hand-made bomb was detonated remotely near a checkpoint. A terrorist was also killed Monday in the Tizi Nethlathla area of Tizi-Ouzou when an army patrol opened fire on the suspect after he refused to stop at a check point. According to Ech Chourouk and El Watan, two other terrorists were killed on Sunday in Boumerdès province when the army surrounded an area where five terrorists were hiding. The two were killed during a two-hour clash, while the others managed to escape.