Algeria - Strong explosion near the Supreme Court of Algiers

AFP via translation | December 11, 2007

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via translation -

Strong explosion in the Supreme Court of Algiers

ALGIERS-A powerful explosion, the nature of which is not yet known, occurred Tuesday at 8:45 GMT in Algiers near the Supreme Court of Algeria, Ben Aknoun, on the heights above the town, noted journalists of AFP .

Many ambulances, sirens hurlantes, were directed at the scene of the explosion which was climbing a thick column of black smoke.

A security cordon was immediately deployed and the road leading to the area, including housing the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council, has been closed to traffic.

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Yesterday - Report: Al-Qaida stages raid in Algeria

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ALERT-Explosion in a bus of students in Algiers, several victims

ALGIERS - The explosion occurred Tuesday in Algiers before the Supreme Court occurred in a bus to transport students and made several victims, noted journalists of the AFP.

[Cindy]

News Brief - quote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7137997.stm

Last Updated: Tuesday, 11 December 2007, 09:29 GMT

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Explosions rock Algerian capital

A series of explosions have rocked the Algerian capital, Algiers, witnesses have said.
A first explosion was followed shortly afterwards by a second blast at the United Nations offices in the Hydra neighbourhood, a witness told the BBC.

Emergency services are at the scene. There was no immediate word of casualties or what caused the blasts.

One report said one of the explosions happened on a school bus next to the Supreme Court.

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ALGEIRS, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Two explosions rocked the Algerian capital on Tuesday and at least four people were killed in one blast, which witnesses said was a suicide attack.

[Cindy]

Separate incident:

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/news/awi/newsbriefs/general/2007/12/10/newsbrief-02

Bombs target Russian pipeline workers in Algeria
10/12/2007
A bomb exploded Sunday (December 9th) on a highway near Bavaiche, west of Algiers, in front of a bus carrying employees of the Russian gas pipeline construction company Stroitransgaz, KUNA and ITAR-TASS report. The bus was damaged, but no casualties were reported. The Russian news agencies quoted security sources as saying that two bombs were planted on the road, but only one of them detonated. This is the second incident which has targeted Stroitransgaz workers, after a similar explosion in March near Ain Difla killed three Algerians and a Russian citizen.

In related news, Ech Chourouk reported that the Algerian army surrounded 80 terrorists in Tizi Ouzou on Saturday and Sunday, following information from an arrested terrorist that the group was planning car-bomb attacks on security forces. More than five hideouts were destroyed during the operation.

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Reuters - ALGIERS BOMBS KILL 20, WOUND 43-SECURITY SOURCE

[Cindy]

December 11, 2007

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://themedialine.org/news/news_mideast_daily.asp?Date=12/11/2007&category_id=8

Bombs Rock Algiers

Two large explosions were heard in the Algerian capital, Algiers, mid morning on Tuesday. At least 20 people were killed and 40 wounded. The city and its environs have been targeted by Islamists for months, in particular key military and governmental installations. A bomb exploded on a road leading to a gas pipeline under construction in the country on Sunday. An organization calling itself Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb said it carried out most of the attacks. The group has official backing from Al-Qa’ida’s top brass on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

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ALERT-At least 27 dead in two attacks in Algiers

ALGIERS-At least 27 people were killed and several wounded in two simultaneous attacks perpetrated in Algiers on Tuesday morning, one on a bus to the Supreme Court, the other in the residential area nearby Hydra, told AFP medical sources and safe.

[Uncle Ike]

I need to break out of ‘lurk’ mode to thank you both for finding and posting the information on these attacks...

Being bandwidth-challenged, I rely on FR and FNC for my information inputs — and, for the record, FNC is, as usual oblivious... (No mention of anything Algeria-related on the bottom-of-the-hour ‘news’-break...)

[Cindy]

You’re very welcome Uncle Ike.

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Thanks, Ike.

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AP - 2 explosions in Algerian capital kills 45

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Reuters - ALGIERS DEATH TOLL RISES TO 47, EXPECTED TO REACH 60-SECURITY SOURCE

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AP News Alert - U.N. refugee agency says its building in Algerian capital was hit in explosion, some U.N. staff injured.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

President Bush is spreading terror around the world. By pushing the Jihadis out of Iraq they are having to find safer areas to ply their trade.

[Finalapproach29er]

The “peaceful” religion is at it again.

[Democracy In Iraq]

UN was a specific target according to the AP report

ALGIERS, Algeria - Two car bombs, including one that targeted the U.N. refugee agency's offices, killed at least 45 people in the Algerian capital Tuesday, authorities said.

Clearly, the UN presence is agitating these terrorists. I'm sure that congressional leaders eager to end the American "occupation" of Iraq will be consistent with their ideals and insist on ending the UN occupation of Algeria.

In the meantime, let's hope all those "UN Lied People Died" bumper stickers and left-wing protests spur some action before another million Algerian civilians are killed.

(Yes, this is cynicism.)

[Cindy]

Thanks to a Special Freepmailer for pointing to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1938008/posts

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/12/11/algeria.blast/index.html

“Rescuers search for bomb survivors”

updated 1 hour, 44 minutes ago

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “ALGIERS, Algeria (CNN) — Rescuers are sifting through the rubble of the main United Nations headquarters in the Algerian capital looking for 14 U.N. staffers missing hours after a powerful bomb ripped off the building’s facade and leveled nearby U.N. offices Tuesday.
It was one of two suspected car bombs that struck Algiers within 10 minutes of each other.

The death toll is unclear: the official government count is at least 26, but hospital sources in Algiers told CNN affiliate BFM-TV that 76 people were killed in the two blasts. A statement from the United Nations said 45 people were reported killed.

Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni blamed a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda for the attacks, which also targeted a building housing Algeria’s Constitutional Council and Supreme Court.

In a posting on an Islamist Web site, the group al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility.

CNN could not immediately corroborate that claim, but the Web site is known to carry messages, claims and videos from al Qaeda and other militant groups.”