Al Qaida claims Algeria attacks

Dellys: Al Qaida in north Africa claimed responsibility for two suicide attacks that killed at least 57 people in Algeria in the past two days.

In an internet statement, the Al Qaida Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb said they were trying to target police and security forces during the attacks.

“Our brother did not target innocent people as reported by the media," they said, referring to the bomber that killed 20 people in Batna on Thursday, before a scheduled visit by the president.

The statement, whose authenticity could not be verified, said two Al Qaida fighters carried out the operations "in defence of Islam and the Islamic nation".

Another bomb attack in the port of Dellys on Saturday killed at least 37 people, hospital sources said.

Officials saw the attacks as an attempt to wreck government efforts to end 15 years of political violence.