Excerpted from the ENN Daily Intelligence Report -01/25/97 -Vol. 3, No. 025
ALGERIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKS OF "UNEQUALLED TERROR"
By the ENN News Staff
ALGIERS (ENN) - Terrorist incidents are happening so fast and frequent now in Algeria that the ERRI Operations
Center is having a difficult time keeping track and sorting them out from one another. An Algerian newspaper is reporting
on Saturday that suspected Islamic fundamentalists killed upwards to 59 people in villages around Algiers. These killings
came just hours after Algerian President Liamine Zeroual spoke of "unequalled terror" in Algeria.
Quoting witnesses, one newspaper said, "Fifty-nine have been assassinated during this weekend in the center of the
country, mostly in Berroughia and in the villages of Benramdane, Saouala and Baraki."
In a 20-minute televised speech on Friday night, the Algerian president promised to eradicate "criminals, traitors and
mercenaries" -- which are Algerian codewords for Islamic fundamentalists, mostly belonging to the ruthless Armed Islamic
Group (GIA). Zeroual also said that the terrorists were being manipulated by unnamed foreigners.
The president gave no specific details about any of the massacres or about any new measures that will be taken to try and
stop the violence. Zeroual said, "... innocent citizens, of all categories, are victims each day of a blind terrorism never
equalled in other times or other places."
Though there have been several serious bombings in the capital of Algiers, most of the slaughter has occurred in isolated
communities. Whole families have been reported killed by having their throats slashed. Many victims have been
decapitated.
Algerian news reports tell of two of the most recent massacres. On Friday, about 50 Islamic terrorists entered the village
of Houach el Hadj, located about 25 miles south of the capital, and reportedly hacked to death about 15 people.
In the neighboring village of Benramdane, 19 people, including ten women and a 2-year-old child, were killed with axes
and machetes.
One unnamed Western diplomat stationed in Algeria said, "Zeroual sees elections as a way out of the violence, but the
GIA has promised its war will go on whatever happens."
In the past week, five bombs have exploded in Algiers. Another 17 explosive devices have reportedly been defused.
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