GSPC activities in Algeria, Iraq network

Liberte, El Watan, Ech Chourouk (p. 2), El Khabar (EN): RPG-wielding GSPC ambush soldiers in M’tchitcha in the Ahnif area, 45 km east of Bouira on Thursday night. 7 soldiers killed, and 7 more injured, including one communal guard.

Earlier this week, notes Liberte, seven soldiers were killed at Lakhdaria, and four in Djelfa. It adds that in the wilaya of Boumerdes there have so far been 284 surrenders and more than 125 freed under the Peace and Reconciliation Charter, and names the "emir" of Boumerdes as one Abdelhamid Saâdaoui.

Ech Chourouk, quoting a GSPC press release promising "a hot summer", gives the total toll for the past 12 months as more than 36 soldiers, customs officers, and communal guards, in Ghazerouane, Bouaidel (Bouira), Thenia, Baghlia, Dellys, Bouberak (Boumerdes), Tifirassine (Batna), Slamna (Tizi-Ouzou), Mouqournou (Medea), Ras el-Ma (Sidi Bel Abbes), Beni-Mahboub (Jijel), Bouk'hil (Biskra), Hammam Righa (Ain Defla), Sidi-Mekraz (Chlef).

In related non-GSPC news, Ech Chourouk says that, according to "reliable sources", a Salafist network in Tiaret and Tlemcen helping volunteers to go fight in Iraq has been broken up, with more than 15 arrests, shortly after a guy from Tiaret blew himself up in Iraq.