Algerian authorities seize terrorist weapons and destroyed explosives workshops
The Algerian army announced it confiscated an arsenal belonging to terrorists, including 105 missiles and rocket launchers, during August.
The Ministry of Defense published the extensive results of the operations in desert areas and the eastern and western borders, where extremist religious groups, arms dealers and drugs and human traffickers are active.
Authorities arrested a well-known terrorist and four people on suspicion of supporting terrorism, while an extremist surrendered to military authorities.
Security forces destroyed several terrorist hideouts and bomb and explosives-making workshops. They also confiscated automatic weapons, drones, mortars, grenades, RPGs and various other arms.
The campaign also included the arrest of 200 illegal substance smugglers, 39 drug dealers, 167 gold miners and 370 illegal migrants. These operations took place in different parts of the country, such as the central-western Ain Defla region, which were the main strongholds of terrorism in the 1990s.
The authorities say the civil war in Libya and the unrest in northern Mali led to intense activity of extremists and arms dealers on their shared border.
In other news, the Ministry of Defense announced that army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah will visit the fourth military zone, 800 km south of the capital, and Ouargla city, dubbed the oil capital.
The ministry confirmed that he will inspect military units and will hold orientation meetings with the military personnel.
On Sunday, residents of Boumerdes state banned a delegation of the National Commission for Dialogue and Mediation from holding a meeting to choose a representative from the region. This led to clashes between opponents of the elections and supporters of the Commission, led by former speaker of parliament Karim Younes, who is holding intensive meetings with the parties to convince them to hold presidential elections as soon as possible.
Chlef and Tebessa cities witnessed similar clashes, as residents asked delegates of the Commission to leave their towns, accusing them of trying to go around the popular movement’s demands of changing the regime.
Source: Aawsat
