Top al-Qaeda aide killed in Algeria amid Ramadan death toll of 80

2007-10-10

The holy month of Ramadan has been marked in Algeria by a string of terrorist attacks and army counter-terrorist operations, resulting in a number of deaths on both sides. In a victory for the army over the weekend, top al-Qaeda aide Zuheir Harek was confirmed dead following a raid in the town of Boughni.

By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 10/10/07

[Getty Images] A group of security officers man a checkpoint in Kouba, a suburb of Algiers, as part of increased security measures in the country.

Algerian media has reported the killing of Zuheir Harek, the mastermind behind a recent string of suicide bombings, including those against the Government Palace, the military barracks in Lakhdaria, Dellys and eastern Algeria, as well as a police station in Tizi-Ouzou province.

Quoting security sources, local newspapers reported on Tuesday (October 9th) that security forces identified three terrorists killed by the army over the weekend in the town of Boughni in Tizi-Ouzou province, 110 km east of the capital.

The newspapers reported that DNA tests of the three terrorists identified them as Zuheir Harek, also known by the names Sofiane Abu Heider and Sofiane Fssila, and two of his assistants.

Harek is believed to be emir of the former GSPC's second district. He was reportedly among the orchestrators of the bombing of the Government Palace on April 11th and the attack on a coast guard barracks in Dellys on September 8th, as well as the recent attack on French and Italian nationals working to build a dam in the Bouira area.

The attack on the Government Palace left 36 killed and 75 wounded, and the barracks bombing, executed by 15-year-old Nabil Belkacemi, resulted in the deaths of 30 military personnel and scores of injuries.

In a statement to Magharebia, terrorism expert Salima Tlemçani said the killing of the second district emir has dealt a severe blow, both to the organisation as a whole and to Abdelmalek Droukdel in particular. Droukdel, the beleaguered leader of al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, according to Tlemçani, was too dependent on Harek to lead the group and tighten his grip on its various factions.

Tlemçani said the loss of Harek and other leaders close to Droukdel further threatens the latter's standing in the organisation. Harek and fellow deputy Ali Dix, who was killed in an army raid on July 30th, were among the leaders who helped Droukdel secure his position. Last month, Algerian media reported that the al-Qaeda leader was dismissed as leader of the group following a meeting of militant leaders.

Tlemçani also said that Harek had been planning a terrorist operation for the eve of Eid al-Fitr, and that his death will interrupt Droukdel's operations.

Reports by Liberté and El Khabar indicate that over the past four days, army operations have resulted in the deaths of 22 suspected terrorists in the provinces of Batna, Khenchela and Tebessa in the easternmost section of the country. According to media reports, 11 of the dead were suspected of involvement in the suicide bombings allegedly targeting President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Batna province on September 6th.

According to an El Khabar report published on Tuesday, 30 military personnel, police officers and civilians have died in 19 separate operations executed by al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb since the start of Ramadan on September 13th.

The numbers and frequency of patrols and mobile checkpoints have increased in Algiers during the month of Ramadan in order to help secure the capital.

The September 6th attack in Batna motivated the authorities to adopt more vigilance and precautionary measures. Algerian security services began a campaign using posters and television advertisements urging citizens to be more vigilant and to report suspicious activity to the authorities, using the telephone number 1590.