80 Villagers Slain in Raids, Witnesses Say

Attackers have killed more than 80 people in remote villages south of the capital in recent days, many of whom had their throats slit, witnesses and hospital sources said. The attacks coincided with a flare-up of violence in Algiers and bore the hallmarks of Islamic militants. In Sidi el Madani, about 30 miles south of the capital, 38 people were killed overnight Thursday, witnesses said. At the same time, 48 other people--including 11 children and two pregnant women--had their throats slit in the village of Matmata, about 80 miles south of Algiers, hospital sources said. More than 500 people have been killed in attacks attributed to Islamic insurgents since early June, when the military-backed government won legislative elections with promises to stop the violence in the North African country.