Al-Qauda in Africa threatens new attacks
The North African branch of al-Qaida threatened of new attacks against “enemies of God” in North Africa in a statement posted on the internet today.
“The Holy warriors, thanks be to God, have managed to reorganise their ranks and set forth their plans, and they are preparing a lot of surprises,” said the statement posted on a militant web site usually used by Al-Qaida.
These “surprises” will escalate “until the enemies of God’s religion realize that they have no choice but to repent to God and halt the war against Islam and Muslims” in North Africa, the statement said. The message’s authenticity could not be independently verified.
The statement also called on “all Muslim brethren” to stay away from army, police, and official centres because militants “are determined to target their bases … by all means of explosions, shelling, and destruction until they are either uprooted or return to their senses.”
The group said it had at times cancelled attacks on military targets because of civilian presence there.
The North African branch of al-Qaida claimed responsibility for a July 11 suicide bombing that killed at least 10 Algerian soldiers and wounded 35.
Algeria suffered another suicide bombing two months ago, and Morocco was hit by suicide attacks in April.
Algeria has been seeking to turn the page on an Islamic insurgency that has killed as many as 200,000 people since the army called off elections in 1992 when an Islamist party was expected to win.
While large-scale violence died down in the 1990s, sporadic attacks by the al-Qaida affiliate have mounted in recent months.
