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| Deadly bombings hit Algerian town | Deadly bombings hit Algerian town |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Twelve people have been killed and 42 injured by twin car bombs that hit a barracks and a bus in Bouira, south-east of the Algerian capital. | |
| The government said the blasts went off 15 minutes apart early on Wednesday. | |
| The attacks come one day after a car bomb killed 48 people and injured a further 38 at a police college near Boumerdes, east of Algiers. | |
| In recent months Algeria has suffered regular attacks blamed on Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda. | In recent months Algeria has suffered regular attacks blamed on Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda. |
| The country has been rebuilding with the help of oil and gas profits after a brutal civil conflict in which Islamist militants led an insurgency against state security forces in the 1990s. | |
| Many recent attacks have happened in the area east and south of Algiers, which borders the mountainous Berber region of Kabylia. | Many recent attacks have happened in the area east and south of Algiers, which borders the mountainous Berber region of Kabylia. |
| Nearby were pools of blood, watches, tattered clothes and a mobile telephone still ringing Witness class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7573118.stm">Bombs shatter Algerian calm | |
| Wednesday's bombs went off at the military headquarters and outside a hotel in Bouira, which is about 100km (62 miles) from Algiers. | |
| The first bomb ripped off the front of the military barracks. It created a crater several metres in diameter. | |
| The second blast hit a bus transporting Algerian employees of a Canadian company SNC-Lavalin, who were working on a water plant. | |
| The company confirmed that 12 of its Algerian employees had been killed and some 15 others had been injured. | |
| "The bus was left a complete wreck," one eyewitness told Reuters news agency. "Nearby were pools of blood, watches, tattered clothes and a mobile telephone still ringing." | |
| Recruits hit | |
| Just a day earlier, a suicide car bomber drove a car packed with explosives into the entrance of a paramilitary police college in Issers, near Boumerdes, about 50km (31 miles) east of Algiers. | Just a day earlier, a suicide car bomber drove a car packed with explosives into the entrance of a paramilitary police college in Issers, near Boumerdes, about 50km (31 miles) east of Algiers. |
| That attack hit military police recruits who were waiting outside the building before an exam. | That attack hit military police recruits who were waiting outside the building before an exam. |
| ATTACKS IN ALGERIA 2007-2008 19 August 2008: 48 killed by suicide bombing outside police college in Issers10 August 2008: Eight killed by suicide bombing outside police station in Zemmouri8 June 2008: French engineer and driver killed east of Algiers5 June 2008: Roadside bomb kills six soldiers east of AlgiersJanuary 2008: Suicide bombing kills four policemen in NaciriaDecember 2007: Twin car bombs kill at least 37 including 10 UN staff in Algiers8 September 2007: 32 die in bombing in Dellys6 September 2007: 22 die in bombing in BatnaJuly 2007: Suicide bomber targets barracks near Bouira, killing nineApril 2007: 33 killed in attacks on government offices and a police station in Algiers | |
| The interior ministry, which said most of those killed were civilians, updated the death toll from the Issers attack on Wednesday to 48. | |
| After the Issers attack, Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni said militants were trying to "loosen the net closing around them". | |
| Algeria's government has long said Islamist insurgents are desperately seeking to raise their profile as they are isolated by security forces. | Algeria's government has long said Islamist insurgents are desperately seeking to raise their profile as they are isolated by security forces. |
| There have been no immediate claims of responsibility for this week's attacks. | There have been no immediate claims of responsibility for this week's attacks. |
| Previous bombings have been claimed by the North African branch of al-Qaeda, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. | Previous bombings have been claimed by the North African branch of al-Qaeda, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. |
| Those included twin suicide car bombings in Algiers - one against the offices of the UN - that killed at least 37 people in December. | Those included twin suicide car bombings in Algiers - one against the offices of the UN - that killed at least 37 people in December. |
| In recent years, Algeria has been slowly recovering from a conflict that began in 1992 when the army intervened to stop hardline Islamists winning the country's first multi-party elections. | In recent years, Algeria has been slowly recovering from a conflict that began in 1992 when the army intervened to stop hardline Islamists winning the country's first multi-party elections. |
| Violence has been greatly reduced since the 1990s, but since last year there have been a series of devastating suicide bombings and several attacks against international targets. | Violence has been greatly reduced since the 1990s, but since last year there have been a series of devastating suicide bombings and several attacks against international targets. |
| Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb was formed from the remnants of Algeria's insurgency, and was previously known as the Salafist Group for Call and Combat. | |
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| Aftermath of Algeria blasts | Aftermath of Algeria blasts |
| Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the explosion? Send your comment using the form below: | Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the explosion? Send your comment using the form below: |