Author:
Publication: The Times
of India
Date: December 25, 2000
ALGIERS: Muslim rebels
burst into an Algerian
discotheque, slashed
the throat of a 23-year-old woman
pop singer and dragged
off two members of her band,
security sources said
on Sunday.
Another 11 people were
killed in various other incidents,
bringing to more than
240 the death toll during the fasting
month of Ramadan, a
period Muslim rebels see as
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
auspicious for their
holy war.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Security sources said
about 25 rebels broke into the
discotheque at Berrahal
in the Annaba area, 400 km
(250 miles) east of
Algiers on Friday night.
They said 13 people were
injured in the chaos, some
shot by the assailants
and others cut by broken glass as
they jumped through
broken windows to escape.
"The singer killed is
named Sihem Chaoui. Two male
members of her band
were abducted by the terrorists,"
one source said. He
had no further information on the
fate of the kidnapped
men.
Muslim rebels are blamed
for the killing of scores of
singers, journalists
and other intellectuals.
More than 100,000 people
have been killed since 1992
when Algeria plunged
into civil strife following the
cancellation of a general
election in which Islamist
militants had taken
the lead.
Also in Berrahal, a man
was killed and two wounded
when rebels broke into
a cafe on Friday, Le Quotidien
d'Oran newspaper said.
Two civilians were killed
and another wounded in an
attack in Ouled Aich
area in Blida region, 50 km (30
miles) south of Algiers,
the newspaper added.
Government soldiers shot
dead seven Muslim rebels on
Saturday in el Attaf
village in Chlef area, some 160 km
(100 miles) west of
Algiers, Saout El Ahrar and Liberte
dailies said.
Rebels see killing civilians
as a way of ensuring that their
revolt is not covered
up by the authorities and as punishment
for those they see as
impious for not joining their cause.
The rebels usually increase
attacks in Ramadan, which
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ends next Tuesday or
Wednesday, depending on the
sighting of the moon.
This year's Ramadan death
toll is higher than last year but
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the bloodiest was in
1998 when about 1,500 people
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
were killed.
(Reuters)
