Suicide attack in northern Algeria kills at least two
2008-01-29
A car bomb exploded early Tuesday morning outside a police station in the Algerian city of Thénia, leaving two dead and 23 injured. The attack comes a day after authorities killed a suspected architect of the December 11th bombings.
By Said Jameh and Boualam Senhadji for Magharebia in Algiers – 29/01/08
 [Getty Images] Algerian women comfort each other after their house was seriously damaged by a suicide attack on a nearby police station in the northern Algerian city of Thenia on Tuesday (January 29th). |
An early-morning suicide bomb attack on an Algerian police station in Thénia, east of Algiers, killed at least two people and injured 23 others Tuesday (January 29th).
Communications Minister Abderrachid Boukerzaza, who announced the death toll, denied media reports claiming the suicide bomber was a woman. He said security forces are currently working on determining the identity of the attacker. Boukerzaza added that a special government committee created to deal with the aftermath of the explosion has already provided housing for 20 families whose homes were damaged.
Eyewitnesses reported that at about 6:00 AM local time, when town residents still had not left their homes for work, the suicide bomber drove a van towards a building housing the police station, a restaurant and a number of shops.
"I saw the vehicle blow up with my own eyes at 6:25, and more than ten bodies on the ground," said Smaine, who owns a shop close to the police station. Smaine told Magharebia that the car, "which was driven by a suicide bomber, didn’t crash into the police station [but] exploded a few metres from the building." Other witnesses concurred, stating that police "fired at the vehicle before it could get to the building."
The director of Thénia hospital, Hakim Bey, said that "two of those injured and considered to be in a serious condition were taken to Zmirli hospital in Algiers." He added that teams of specialists were sent to the site of the attack to offer psychological help to the injured.
The explosion caused considerable panic among the residents. Many adjacent buildings were hard hit, with their outer walls falling and their ceilings collapsing on the residents. However, the police station did not sustain any damage.
The operation comes just one day after authorities announced they had killed terrorist leader Abderrahmane Bouzegza, emir of the Farouq Battalion which operates in the area of Beni Amrane in Boumerdès Province, and arrested 4 aides. In its January 29th edition, Al Watan daily said Bouzegza was the architect of the December 11th suicide bombings in Algiers which killed 41 people. He and his group were reportedly preparing to carry out other bomb attacks in the capital. Security sources said the four detainees included two scouts who led the suicide bombers to the chosen targets and two terrorists who filmed the scenes after the blasts.
In an effort to destroy the strongholds of the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, Algerian security agencies have been hunting terror suspects in provinces east of the capital, especially in Boumerdès and Tizi Ouzou and in the mountains of the Kabylia region. Local newspapers confirmed that Special Forces seized caches in the town of Cherarba used by the terror group to manufacture improvised explosive devices and vehicle-borne bombs.
Today’s attack east of Algiers is the second suicide operation of its kind carried out by al-Qaeda since the beginning of the New Year. On January 2nd, a similar attack targeting a police headquarters in the town of Naciria, also located in Boumerdès Province, killed 4 security officers.
No organisation has claimed responsibility for the Thénia bombing.
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AZIM -khenchla Posted 2008-01-30
I think that in Algeria it is the poor people—the police, soldiers and innocent civilians—who are paying for the people in power, i.e. the generals. So, I propose to you a movement by the name of KIFAYA against this corrupt government, which wants a third term for their dying president to protect their own interests. This has gone on for too long and left us starving for decades now.
imed Posted 2008-02-18
May God stop this fire.
عبد الحق Posted 2008-02-25
May God curse you enemies of Islam. You pretend to Jihad, but this is not Jihad, you renegades.
zoulikha Posted 2008-03-02
Praise, prayer and peace. My brothers, what is happening in the Arab Maghreb is in no way related to our generous religion, except this, awareness has dug its fangs into our nations and now we know our Islam, there is no longer any one domineering our religion and who will fraud us. We know our Islam and we know that religion is preserved in its texts and doesn’t change. It is just the way of understanding it and association with it that changes according to eras. What happen are just political adventures in co-operation with internal and external sides. Now we understand that no good is wished for our countries given its positions, material and human resources. The destroyers should know that what they do won’t make us relinquish our religion or neglect our acquisitions. They might dream as they wish, their attempts failed blatantly. Whatever the powers they use and false attempts, let’s just observe their level of clowning: they touched the poor, residents of slums and weak people because they are cowards, they don’t face the arm with arm. But when they feel their failure, they retaliate on the weak because they have only one principle (I am strong so I exist). They will be accountable for their acts in this world and in the afterlife.
Anonymous Posted 2008-03-04
To these [expletive] terrorists: If you are real men, then you are just fags! *You come to the Ahres market to blow yourselves up!* We are real men; you are just fags to us! You are God’s dirtiest creature and do not forget it!
OMAR Posted 2008-03-09
I TELL FOR THIS MEN YOU ARE NO THING NERE AS .WE ARE POLICE ALGIRIAN .WE WILL WIN IN CHAA EL LAHE
HOUARI Posted 2008-03-14
I am Algerian and I am asking about the suicide bomber in the news today, he could be one of my relatives. Please answer me.
reda Posted 2008-03-20
Greetings- go, they know you.
younes Posted 2008-03-23
This is a Zionist act, not an Islamic one like they say.
المغربي Posted 2008-05-08
In the name of God most gracious most merciful. Peace and prayer upon the messenger of God, peace and prayer of God upon him. I join my voice to those of my brothers in condemning these attacks which targeted Morocco and Algeria. But we must ask ourselves about the cause which drives these people to kill themselves. Do you think that they do this just to kill themselves and to undermine security in these countries? What is the aim of undermining security there, do they want power or do they just want to kill themselves and kill innocents? I think the driving force for these events is the Palestinian and Iraqi cause in addition to the problems experienced by the nation. In view of the position of Arab governments on this main issue which represents the most important issue for the Arab Muslim citizen, do you think that Muslims will just watch their brothers killed and slain in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan and keep on eating, drinking and sleeping without feeling anything towards them? This is contrary to their convictions and Islam. Where is the saying of the messenger of God peace and prayer of God upon him? The example of believers in their affection and mercy for each other is like one body, if a part thereof complains, all other parts of the body react by staying awake with fever. And the saying of the prophet peace and prayer of God upon him ‘You don’t reach full conviction until you love your brother as you love yourself’. God Almighty says “The believers are but brethren”. I think that the solution to this problem is that Arab governments adopt a position towards these issues. I advise these people who commit such acts to think a little. Have they managed to end these problems with these attacks? No by God, they are just complicating things and creating discord and strife, and strife is worse than killing as God Almighty says. Prayer and peace of God upon our master Mohamed and upon his family. God knows.
zaki Posted 2008-05-15
This terrorism is no way associated with our religion, which calls for tolerance, fraternity and cohabitation between civilisations. It is known that a companion came to the prophet, peace and prayer upon him, and told him ‘oh messenger of God, raging dogs are attacking us, let’s exterminate them’; the messenger of God replied ‘no, dogs are one of God’s nations; He created them on earth’. There is much evidence that this religion is a religion of tolerance and not a religion of blood and barbarism as the enemies of God pretend in America and Europe.
zaki fook you Posted 2008-06-28
Long live, long live terrorism my friends. I was very poor. But with the Islamic group of the Arab Maghreb I have a lot of money. Anyway, I have a good life now.
مسلم من الجزائر Posted 2008-09-22
There is no power and no will but from God.
keltoum Posted 2008-11-19
The government is the real terrorist. It is what created this group, using Islam as its cover. Killing in the name of Allah is immoral. May god exterminate you all, even the higher-ups. And, what is up with the third term? Power and dictatorship— what a shame! And, we just keep quiet.
ahmed de sidi bel abbes Posted 2009-05-04
May God guide them. This is our country and these are our brothers who die. Long live our country, long live our president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Those who don’t accept, let them get out of our country. Long live Algeria. long live the president of the Algerian republic. Finally, let him work tranquilly.
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