Algerian Rulers Extend State of Emergency
The yearlong state of emergency here, imposed to help combat rising Muslim fundamentalism, is being extended for an undetermined period, the military-backed rulers announced Sunday.
The widely expected announcement came amid reports of eight more killings, a bomb alert at the University of Algiers and the explosion of a small bomb in a government building in Constantine.
The announcement was made by the five-man High State Committee, which replaced President Chadli Bendjedid in January, 1992, in an effort to prevent Muslim fundamentalists from winning parliamentary elections.
A wave of violence by Islamic extremists has left at least 600 people dead despite the state of emergency.
At least eight people, including a policeman and two known extremists, were killed in separate incidents between Thursday and Saturday, officials said.
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