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Suicide bomb kills 15 in Algeria | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
At least 15 people have been killed and more than 75 injured in a suicide bombing in Algeria. | |
The attack happened in the town of Batna, about 450km (279 miles) east of the capital, Algiers. | The attack happened in the town of Batna, about 450km (279 miles) east of the capital, Algiers. |
The bomb exploded in a crowd of people awaiting a scheduled visit to the town by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. | |
In April, two bombs killed 23 people in Algiers. A group calling itself Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it carried out those attacks. | |
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest bombing. | |
But Mr Bouteflika accused Islamist militants of trying to disrupt his policy of national reconciliation, which is aimed at ending 15 years of fighting between the army and groups trying to set up an Islamic state. | But Mr Bouteflika accused Islamist militants of trying to disrupt his policy of national reconciliation, which is aimed at ending 15 years of fighting between the army and groups trying to set up an Islamic state. |
"Terrorist acts have absolutely nothing in common with the noble values of Islam," the official APS news agency quoted him as saying. | "Terrorist acts have absolutely nothing in common with the noble values of Islam," the official APS news agency quoted him as saying. |
The president later visited some of the wounded in a local hospital. | |
Conflict broke out in Algeria in 1992 after a general election won by an Islamist party was annulled, resulting in a bloody civil war in which more than 150,000 people died. | Conflict broke out in Algeria in 1992 after a general election won by an Islamist party was annulled, resulting in a bloody civil war in which more than 150,000 people died. |
Insecurity has been increasing in Algeria, and across North Africa, since the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) re-launched itself as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb at the beginning of this year. | Insecurity has been increasing in Algeria, and across North Africa, since the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) re-launched itself as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb at the beginning of this year. |