Algeria: Five suspected militants killed Oct. 1 in north

Event

On Sunday, October 1, the Algerian Ministry of Defense announced that five suspected armed militants had been killed in an ongoing counter-terrorism operation - launched on September 28 - in the woods of El Kseur (Béjaïa province), located approximately 220 km (135 mi) east of the capital Algiers. Weapons, including machine guns and ammunition, were reportedly seized in the operation.

Context

Anti-terrorist operations are conducted on a regular basis in Algeria and authorities regularly use the word "terrorist" to refer to armed Islamists, active in the country since the 1990s. The threat is particularly high in the east and south of the country, as well as the Atlas Mountains region, a former stronghold of Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Advice

Due to the risk of terrorism, individuals are advised to maintain a high degree of vigilance, to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities, and to be particularly alert when visiting sites deemed likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).

Some Western governments advise against travel to the desert regions of central and southern Algeria, including the entire border with Libya, due to the terrorist threat. Traveling to some wilayas of northern Algeria (Tizi Ouzou, Bouïra, Boumerdès, Béjaïa, Jijel, Skikda, Tébessa, Constantine, El Oued, or Aurès Mountains) is also advised against. Only a few large cities (Algiers, Oran, and Tlemncen) should be considered relatively safe thanks to a heavy security presence.