Al-Qaeda ‘responsible’ for Algeria bombing

ALGERIA: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb on Sunday claimed responsibility for deadly twin suicide attacks in Algeria, accusing the regime there of supporting Moamer Kadhafi in neighbouring Libya.

The brazen suicide blasts, carried out with an explosives packed motorcycle, targeted an Algerian military academy and killed 18 people including officers in training from Syria and Tunisia.

A statement, titled “a gift for Eid”, emailed to AFP in Morocco said AQIM “claims responsibility for the two martyr operations” on Friday which “targeted the heart of Algeria’s Cherchell military institution”, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Algerian capital. The authenticity of the statement, sent by a man identifying himself as “Salah Abou Mohamed, official in charge of information of the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb organisation” could not immediately be ascertained.

The text said the military school target was the “most important symbol of the Algerian regime” and accused Algeria of supporting the rule of Moamer Kadhafi in Libya, mirroring accusations made by rebel leaders in Benghazi and Tripoli.

On Sunday, the United States strongly condemned the attacks as “an horrific event” whose victims included non-Algerians who “were working to make their countries safer places,” a statement from the US state department said.

The attacks and the accusations from AQIM that the Algerian government is close to Kadhafi, come amid high tensions between Algeria and the rebels in Libya.

Rebel officials have accused Algiers of providing mercenaries to prop up the embattled Kadhafi regime, which the Algerian government denied.

Meanwhile Algeria has yet to recognise the National Transitional Council, despite the fall of Kadhafi, nor ever asked for his ouster.

AFP