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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Investor Clouseau who wrote (18527)	9/12/2002 9:37:17 PM
From: lorne	Respond to of 27716

Algeria launches major air assault on Islamic insurgents SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Wednesday, September 11, 2002 CAIRO — Algeria's military launched its largest air attack on Islamic insurgents in more than two years. Algerian sources said the attack was led by Su-24 bombers and Mi-24 attack helicopters in the northern part of the country. They said the target was the Salafist Brigade for Combat and Call, a splinter group of the largest Islamic insurgency network, the Armed Islamic Group. Algerian air and ground forces pounded Salafist strongholds on Monday and Tuesday in the governorate of Skikdah near the Moroccan border, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said an undetermined number of insurgents were killed and injured. The last major air operation against Islamic insurgency strongholds took place last January, the source said. They said the current operation combines air and ground units with the heavy use of Russian attack helicopters. "The intensification of the fight against terrorism by my country should not create confusion between the crimes of terrorist groups and Islam, a religion of peace, equity, tolerance and which respects human dignity," Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika said prior to the offensive. The Salafist stronghold is said to be composed of several buildings in remote areas of northern Skikidah. The group, led by Hassan Khatab, is also said to be operating near the capital Algiers. Algerian newspapers been reporting intensified military operations against the Salafist over the last month. They said the military operation began in the northeastern Kabylie province with heavy artillery shelling in the Djurdjura mountains. The offensive then moved to the nearby areas in the Bejaia region to which Salafist insurgents fled. The sources said Algeria has received aid and training from such countries as France, South Korea and the United States in counterinsurgency operations. They said Russia has delivered most of the upgraded 22 Su-24 fighter-bombers to Algeria, some of which are believed to have already seen action over the last few months. Algeria has also sought counterinsurgency cooperation with Indonesia. Bouteflika met Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and the two men discussed a range of security cooperation. On Wednesday, Algeria hosted African governments to discuss cooperation against insurgents. Morocco, Algeria's neighbor and rival, does not plan to attend the four-day meeting. worldtribune.com