Algerians kill 22 allied to Islamic State

ALGIERS: Algerian troops ambushed and killed at least 22 militants allied to the self-styled Islamic State (IS) as they held a meeting east of the capital in one of the country’s largest military operations in recent years, the defence ministry and a security source said.

Fighters allied with both al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and IS operate in Algeria, mostly in mountainous northern areas, but militant attacks have been rare since a 1990s war with Islamist insurgents.

The state news agency APS, quoting a ministry statement, said the operation took place east of Algiers near Bouira, which was part of a region long a stronghold for militants during the war that left 200 000 people dead.

“This is a major counterterrorism operation, the largest in terms of militants killed in years,” a security source said.

“They were holding a meeting at the time.”

The army was still pursuing other members of the group, but the APS statement did not give further details or mention the affiliation of the fighters involved.

But security sources said the strike was against members of the Caliphate Soldiers, an al-Qaeda splinter faction that had declared allegiance with IS militants who have taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

The Caliphate Soldiers kidnapped and killed a French tourist in the mountains east of Algiers in September last year.

Since then, Algerian security forces have carried out increased security operations in the region.

Since ending Algeria’s decade-long 1990s war with the Islamist militants, Algeria is a partner in the Western campaign against insurgencies across North Africa, especially with turmoil in parts of northern Mali and Libya.