3 Children Among 12 Slain in Algeria; Radicals Suspected
Armed militants slit the throats of 12 people Wednesday in the latest bloodshed of an insurgency that is increasingly targeting civilians, Algeria news reports said.
Ten of the victims were members of the same family; three were children.
They were killed outside Blida, about 30 miles south of the capital, Algiers, news reports said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But suspicion fell on radicals waging a nearly five-year fight to topple the government of this North African country and install strict Islamic rule.
More than 60,000 people have been killed since the insurgency began in January 1992.
Violence has risen sharply in Algeria in the run-up to a disputed Nov. 28 constitutional referendum on whether to permanently ban parties based on religion or language.
Since Oct. 1, an estimated 250 civilians have been killed in bombings and ambush attacks.
Hundreds of militants and an unknown number of security force members have also died.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
