Algeria says 5 Islamists killed in army operation

By AFP

Algeria

SEP 29, 2016 LISTEN

Algerian authorities use the term "terrorists" for armed Islamists who have been active in the North African state since a devastating civil war in the 1990s. By Farouk Batiche (AFP/File)

Algiers (AFP) - Five armed Islamists were killed in an army operation in a mountainous region of southeast Algeria on Thursday, the defence ministry said.

An army unit shot dead the "five terrorists" in Jebel Ouslati near the Batna region, around 450 kilometres (280 miles) from the capital Algiers, said the ministry.

It said arms and "a large quantity" of munitions were seized.

Algerian authorities use the term "terrorists" for armed Islamists who have been active in the North African state since a devastating civil war in the 1990s.

This year, at least 106 suspected Islamists have been killed in army operations in the east and south of the country, according to an AFP count compiled from official statements.