AQIM Hideout in Tebesa, Algeria Bombed, 7 Dead

Following a deadly bomb attack on security services earlier this week, the Algerian army bombarded a suspected militant hideout in the Tebesa region killing seven terrorists on Wednesday (September 5th), Algerian press reported.

The group was hiding in a cave near Lagla el-Malha and was suspected of carrying out an ambush Monday that killed five security officials and one civilian in the eastern town of Henchir El-Hoshas. According to press reports, at least 80 people were killed in the Tebesa region in July and August, most of them armed terrorists.

In related news, Ech Chourouk quoted security sources as saying Wednesday that the leadership of the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb is holding new members in small groups in eastern Algeria and rural places in an effort to foil their attempts to escape.

The move followed the recent surrender of five members of the organisation. Reportedly, al-Qaeda’s national leader, Abdelmalek Droukdel, has ordered his followers to keep watch over all of the organisation's members, particularly the new recruits, and to limit their movements.

The paper quotes a repentant terrorist as saying he and others in his group lived as prisoners. He reportedly said that many others wanted to surrender, as they have not been put through any military training and feared being used in suicide attacks.

The Rest @ Magharebia