Two car bombs in Algiers kill, injure dozens
2007-12-11
Two bombings in the centre of Algiers on Tuesday morning have left over 60 dead and many more injured. Eyewitnesses have recounted similarities to the fatal attacks of April 11th.
By Boualam Senhadji for Magharebia in Algiers – 11/12/07
 [Getty Images] Algerian rescue workers and bomb experts stand in front of a destroyed building near the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) offices. |
Two car bombs detonated Tuesday morning (December 11th) outside an Algiers court building and a UN facility, leaving over 60 people dead, scores injured and others still missing in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
When the first car bomb exploded at 9:50 a.m. outside the Constitutional Council in the downtown district of Ben Aknoun, it was heard up to 15 kilometres away. A bus carrying law students to class along the major thoroughfare was crushed in the blast. Early reports placed the death toll at fifteen, with dozens injured.
Just as police, ambulance and security forces were approaching the site of the bombing, another explosion rocked Ben Aknoun. A second car bomb destroyed a large part of the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the neighbouring residential district of Hydra.
Speaking on Algerian television, Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said an eyewitness had seen a suicide bomber behind the wheel of one of the cars which exploded outside the UNHCR office.
The explosion also damaged offices of the United Nations Development Programme, but witnesses reported the most lives were lost in the UNHCR complex.
In this stylish district of the capital, the explosion also brought down many buildings in the surrounding area. Many victims were trapped in the debris, and security forces expect the death toll to rise considerably.
Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab League, strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and offered his condolences to the families of those killed and wounded. In a public statement the Arab League condemned what it called an "unjustifiable act of terrorism" and denounced the terrorist acts "and everything they represent or hope to achieve." Moussa expressed the Arab League's solidarity with the Algerian government and people in their fight against terrorism which "targets the innocent and tries to undermine the country's security and stability."
European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner issued a statement from Brussels, condemning the attacks. "My thoughts are with the families of those killed," she said. "I hope that those responsible for these horrible acts will face justice."
In a telephone call to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the attacks as "barbarian acts."
For the moment, no organisation has claimed responsibility for the today's twin attacks, but to some analysts it appears to be the work of al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, formerly the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. Algerians have noted similarities to the April bombings in Algiers, which killed 33 people and injured more than 220.
Just months ago, Algeria suffered two terrorist attacks which killed more than 50 people and wounded 150 more. On September 6th, a suicide attack targeted the site of a scheduled visit by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Batna, in the east of the country. On September 8th, another suicide car bomb attack was launched on a barracks in Dellys, 70 kilometres east of Algiers.
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أسد الاطلس Posted 2007-12-11
May God assist our Algerian brothers in this crisis. Morocco is always with you in good times and in bad times.
جمال سعيد محمود Posted 2007-12-12
Al-Qaeda organisation says that the attacks targeted "the nest of world disbelief, the United Nations, the Constitutional Council and the Advanced school of the police. According to the ethics of Al Qaeda, the United Nations is considered a tool of Western dominance over the Countries of Islam. And is a 'Pre-Islamic Board', which should be targeted, while the constitutional council enacts pre-Islamic laws and this a 'disbelief and apostasy'. What's astonishing about that is the outcry of Western society with its presidents and organizations to condemn these attacks and issue strong condemnations which raises a questioning as to the identity of the dead in these attacks.
كوثر Posted 2007-12-12
What I can't understand is the number of victims. The Algerian official sources say that the final death toll is 24, but other sources say that it's over 65. Does this mean that official sources try to hide it so as not to terrify the Algerian public, or is it trying to hide the truth from the media?
ghj70 Posted 2007-12-12
You're doing what you want and you ask the people if there's a comment.
stevie Posted 2007-12-12
The name of the second city is Hydra with a dal (Arabic).
ابوبكر Posted 2007-12-12
Salam alaikoum, as an Algerian, I condemn this terrorist attack. I want to know why they target innocents including children and students. We're a peaceful society and want concerned authorities to take these attacks into consideration. We want peace in Algeria the white.
عمر عبد الصمد Posted 2007-12-12
What happened in Algeria was the result of the plot of the traitors against our pure State.
kamel Posted 2007-12-13
No to terrorism, no to terrorism, Allah is Sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He as trustee! may God protect those who are still alive long live Algeria 100000000000
islam Posted 2007-12-13
Why did they do that? This is not Islamic? We need to do something!
محرز Posted 2007-12-13
May God have mercy on my brothers who died. We have suffered in our country for over ten years. By God we've endured so much, let us live as God created us.
عمر Posted 2007-12-14
May God curse everyone who particpated in these acts. Allah is Sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He in Whom we trust!
Anouar Posted 2007-12-14
God, people on this small earth are getting crazy, i thought a lot of what could be done, or at least with what i could contribute to stop this bloody machine of vilonce, injustice or wrong doing but all i end up with is that there is nothing that could be done except DOUAA, maybe since God created Adam and Eve until the end of the world only Douaa is the keay to solv aby problem and especialy the change the mind of the human bening so he doesn't harm another humain being. May god forgive us and help us to spread peace on earth. Inchalah
hichem Posted 2007-12-15
Oh Lord there is nothing easy but that which you made easy, and if you wish, you can make the hardest easier.
صبرينة Posted 2007-12-15
We’re all against these terrorist acts. But I think the target isn’t the people, but the government. The proof is that ever since these acts began, they targeted government institutions. Honestly I don’t approve of these terrorist acts. Life has become unbearable in Algeria, everything is expensive, we don’t want any more suffering. By God, even the rich are unable to live in the face of the high cost of living. What about the poor? It’s only the people that are cheap in Algeria. May God guide us and them. May God have mercy on the dead. Salam Alaikoum.
ismahane Posted 2007-12-15
I am so sorry for everything that has happened in my country. I would just like to say that we are all with you. And, may God protect our homeland! The Algerian people are all with you. May god be with you all!
حاتم كلبوز Posted 2007-12-15
These are political manipulations by Bouteflika and the Generals, and the victim is the people. What can we say? Allah is Sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He in Whom we trust!
]داود Posted 2007-12-15
Salam alaikoum. There’s no doubt that the recent events are a calamity for every peaceful person. The Islamized terrorists aren’t the only ones who bear responsibility for the inhuman acts, authorities as well have their responsibility because it’s a fascist dictatorship which spends millions for representatives and ministers who don’t serve the nation such as a minister of state without portfolio…??? At a time when young people kill themselves in the sea running away from the hell of unemployment… May God guide them and us. No to terrorism, no to the fascist dictatorship. Your brother Daoud from Algiers.
عزالدين الجزائري Posted 2007-12-15
Eh people, the Jihad is continuing and the dogs are barking. Abu Mussab Abdelouadoud will break the apostates with the will of God.
محمد Posted 2007-12-15
Salam alaikoum, as an Algerian citizen, it's not easy to betray your brothers. God Almighty is our mandate against the enemies of Algeria.
"S" d'Alger Posted 2007-12-16
I am an Algerian citizen. I condemn strongly the horrific acts of terrorism of December 11th, and wish to say the Algerian people deserve a better, more decent and serene life than that which we have known and live still. It is atrocious!! My thoughts are with the families of victims of this tragedy, and I offer them my sincerest condolences. We must act... "S" from Algiers.
hafa Posted 2007-12-16
We ask God Almighty to guide them to the right path.
walid Posted 2007-12-17
By God, I'm against this dreadful act committed by the terrorist group. I ask God Almighty to protect Algeria from this infliction which is destroying the best of countries. May God guide us.
عبد العزيز Posted 2007-12-19
I’m very sorry for our brothers in Algeria. I wish quick recovery for the injured. I present my condolences to all the Algerian families, may God protect from any evil or harm. Those who committed all this are the losers, their fate is to hell, God forbid, for God we are and to God we shall return.
Mohammed de SETIF Posted 2007-12-30
I firmly condemn the bombing attacks perpetrated against my country, the country of martyrs. The ones in charge of this are nothing but cowards and the kamikazes are nothing but beasts. They execute the orders of those who take advantage of the situation to launder dirty money and enrich themselves on the backs of imbeciles like those who perpetrated the attacks of December 11th 2007.
هاني(من الجيش الجزائري) Posted 2008-01-03
I'm proud to be Algerian, long live the Algerian army, even if I lived there with water and bread. I will fight terrorism to the last drop of my blood (a coward terrorism which fears confrontation by blowing up itself. Who is desperate).
حكيم Posted 2008-01-03
Salam alaikoum dear brothers. Everything that is happening in Algeria is the result of the policy followed of senior officials which exhausted the Algerian people and destroyed their ambitions to the point that they're just thinking of bread. It's the policy of starvation practiced by the officials sons of France, the traitors. I don't support the attacks, but I don't oppose terrorism when they kill the heads of infidelity and the sons of France in Algeria, but I oppose them when they target innocents. The only loser in this case is the poor citizen as a result of the plunders of officials and smugglig of the resources of Algeria to Europe, and the poor man fights hunger.
ا ماني Posted 2008-01-06
May God have mercy on our brothers who died. But I want to say that Algeria was deowned and sold to the West, to America. We, young people, have made so many hopes on Bouteflika, that he would extract the country from the crisis. But power is in the hands of the insatiable, men who died for the country have gone.
riad alger Posted 2008-01-15
I hope that our country will always remain upright.
nasar Posted 2008-01-17
The true Muslim doesn’t kill innocents, doesn’t kill children, elderly men and women. Terrorism are poor elements who have their own Islam with which they authorise what they want and forbid what they want. May God curse them to the Day of Judgment. They think that they’re loved by God but they’re cursed with the followers of Satan. They gave to the World a wrong image of Islam. They made Islam thirsty to the blood of innocents. Oh Lord uncover their punishment and retaliation against innocents and show us your punishment and retaliation on them, oh Lord of Humanity.
تبسي Posted 2008-01-19
Algeria is a country of love and peace. We the Algerian people don’t want the interference of outlaws in our personal matters…So that they know how we make justice…It was us who taught people the meaning of justice…who is the State which gave a million and half million martyrs…Neither America, France or Afghanistan…Therefore, I say to anyone who thinks or believes that Algeria is weak, that he’s wrong…Because Algerian young people are stronger and can’t be broken…They bend with every wind which wants to take them…If something like this happened in another country, it would have been totally destroyed, there would have been civil wars...I hope that the Algerian people will remain as the world knows them.
عادل Posted 2008-03-24
Terrorism will persist as long as its causes exist, particularly the lack of serious interest in the cultural field which protects generations from idleness immunises them against being Easternised or Westernised.
طروطى Posted 2008-04-15
By God, shame on you. May God guide you. My brother, we are Arabs, the crises of some are profits for others. There is no life in those you are calling.
حاتم كلبوز Posted 2008-05-08
Long live Algeria despite the political manipulation by the conflicting sides.
امبر ابن ابراهيم ابن محمد رحمه الله Posted 2009-06-07
Peace be upon the followers of the right path. What happens in Algeria are crimes organized by generals. Terrorism doesn't exist. Terrorism is the Algerian army, military intelligence and on top of the Yazid Zerhouni, may God curse him.
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