Algerian army kills 12 Qaeda members

Anti-terrorism special forces  in the Algerian army eliminated nine militants from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Bani Omran,  60km southeast of Algiers. The Ministry of Defence released a statement on Thursday evening that anti-terrorism units also retrieved five Kalashnikov rifles, three semi-automatic rifles and a night telescope. During the same operation, two solar panels to produce energy and a number of ammunition was also retrieved. The statement added that the operation was carried out thanks to ongoing monitoring by security services of the militants' movements. Citizens aided security officials in tracking the nine AQIM members in the Graph Mountain near Boumerdes. The same source stated that the units directly killed a militant, wounded another and surrounded the rest of the criminal group. The ministry said later that evening that all members were killed. A special unit of the National People's Army mwanehile killed three al-Qaeda members in Ain El Hamra, 70km east of Algiers, according to local security sources.  The same source pointed out that the operation took place after citizens informed security services that an unidentified armed group was seen in Ain El Hamra and Ben Wali. At once, the army managed an ambush and was able to eliminate three members of the group and retrieve their weapons (three Kalashnikovs and ammunition) on Thursday morning. The bodies of the dead were transferred to the local hospital for identification. The operations come about one day after the appearance of an audio recording of AQIM head Abdelmalek Droudkel, alias Abu Musab Abdul Wadud , through which he strongly criticises the Algerian regime and its attitude towards the Syrian crisis. The move was seen as an attempt to recruit new militants, due to the successive blows Algerian armed forces have dealt to the jihadist network.