Algerian Victims of Terrorist Attacks Demand Justice

Protesters in Algiers demanding rights for victims of terrorist attacks. (AFP)
Protesters in Algiers demanding rights for victims of terrorist attacks. (AFP)
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Algerian Victims of Terrorist Attacks Demand Justice

Protesters in Algiers demanding rights for victims of terrorist attacks. (AFP)
Protesters in Algiers demanding rights for victims of terrorist attacks. (AFP)

Algerian victims of terrorist attacks that took place in the country during the 1990s, gathered at the capital's central al-Baird Square demanding their inclusion in the Ministry of Mujahideen.

The victims called for justice, saying they were among the first to resist extremist groups, just as the “mujahideen” fought French colonialism during the liberation war.

The protesters tried to march towards the government headquarters to meet Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad but were banned by security forces.

They launched an online campaign commemorating the terrorist attacks, which killed 150,000 according to official figures, while unofficial sources say that the number does not exceed 60,000 victims.

The victims also used the hashtag “Mansinash” (we have not forgotten) emphasizing that they still remember the mass massacres and assassinations committed by militant groups all over the country.

They called on the authorities to adopt March 22 as the “national day for victims of terrorism.”

The majority of the protesters came from Sidi-Hamed, south of Algiers, which witnessed a terrorist attack during Ramadan in 1998, that killed 100 persons and injured dozens, many of whom were permanently disabled.

The government makes monthly allocations of $150 in the local currency to the injured, which many believe is not enough.

Suleiman Amour, 50, who lost his eye during the attack, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the monthly income does not cover his needs and medical bills, saying this grant is a “disgrace.”

Families of victims published photos of their relatives who were killed in attacks between 1995 and 1997.

They also circulated pictures of intellectuals and journalists who were assassinated at their workplaces or near their homes, including journalist Smail Yefsah, who was killed in 1993 by the Islamic Front for Armed Jihad.

The extremist group is known for its operations against secular intellectuals who were against the establishment of an Islamic state and assassinated over 110 journalists and media workers between 1993 and 1999.

Members of the "Association of the Families of Victims of Terrorism” condemned the government's support to terrorists included in the truce agreements.

The government provided aid to "repentant" extremists who surrendered to authorities within the framework of the three laws enacted to end wars: Law of Mercy (1995), the Civil Harmony Law (1999), and the National Reconciliation (2006).

The association is chaired by Fatima-Zohra Flici, the widow of well-known doctor Hadi Flici who was assassinated in his clinic.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Salvation Army asserted that 6,000 of its members who surrendered to the authorities did not receive “a single penny” from the government.

The group's former leader, Madani Mezrag, confirmed in previous statements to the media, that the negotiations with the intelligence services in 1997 included the reintegration of members of the organization into their former workplaces before joining terrorist organizations.

He also indicated that they enjoyed all their civil and political rights, such as the right to run for elections and join parties, however, he claims the government "did not fulfill its promises."



Israeli Forces Storm Major West Bank City of Nablus

Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)
Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Forces Storm Major West Bank City of Nablus

Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)
Tear gas and smoke are pictured through a window during a large-scale Israeli military raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on June 10, 2025. (AFP)

Israel launched a large-scale military operation on Tuesday in the old city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, AFP journalists reported, with the army reporting injured troops and two Palestinians "eliminated".

Dozens of military vehicles entered the city shortly after midnight, an AFP journalist reported, after a curfew had been announced over loudspeakers the day before.

Military operations are focused on the old city, a densely populated area bordering a large downtown square where young men and boys gathered to burn tires and throw stones at armored vehicles.

The Israeli army said that one soldier was "moderately injured" and three others "lightly injured" when two Palestinians attempted to steal a soldier's weapon.

Troops opened fire and "eliminated" both Palestinians, the army said in a statement, using a term the military often uses when killing gunmen.

AFPTV footage showed Israeli soldiers standing in one of the old city's narrow streets, next to the bodies of two civilians.

Neither Palestinian medics nor the Israeli army confirmed the two deaths.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said on Tuesday that three people were injured from bullet shrapnel, four from "physical assaults", and dozens more from tear gas inhalation.

It added that many injuries had to be handled within the old city after its ambulances were blocked from entering.

Nablus is located in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

The territory's north has been the target of a major Israeli military operation dubbed "Iron Wall" since January 21.

On Tuesday, Israeli soldiers entered shops to search them and arrested several people for questioning, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.

The correspondent added that Israeli flags were raised over the roofs of buildings in the Old City that had been turned into temporary bases for Israeli troops.

Violence has surged in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian movement Hamas on Israel.

At least 938 Palestinians, including fighters but also many civilians, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to data from the Palestinian Authority.

During the same period, least 35 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids, according to official Israeli figures.