An Algerian contract corporal was killed on Wednesday by an extremist group in Ain Defla, 150 km southwest of the Algerian capital.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune offered his condolences over the death of Sellaoui Samir, whom he said died a martyr in fighting “the terrorist hordes.”
A security source said the officer was killed in an ambush.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the National Defense announced that 23 terrorists were neutralized and 206 terrorist supporters were arrested by the army in the first half of 2022.
In a report, it said that since the beginning of the year, the army has killed 10 militants, found three bodies and arrested seven suspects in various operations.
It added that three terrorists surrendered to the military authorities, which seized 323 weapons in their possession.
During the same period, the army also arrested 945 drug dealers, seizing around 300 quintals of treated hashish, and about 2,000 kilograms of cocaine.
The Ministry said the security operations are part of its ongoing efforts to eliminate drug trafficking.
Also during the same period, the army prevented the irregular migration of 1,736 people, and arrested 4,735 illegal immigrants of several nationalities.
