ALGIERS, Algeria, June 12 (UPI) -- The Algerian army killed five gunmen and destroyed 30 hideouts in east Algeria, while undertaking contacts with two armed groups to convince them to surrender.
Algeria's daily al-Khabar Monday quoted security sources as saying troops killed the gunmen and seized their arms in a major security operation conducted two days ago in which 30 of the last hideouts for the Salafist Group for Call and Combat were destroyed in the province of Boumedras, east of Algiers.
"The military operation was based on accurate information given to the army by repenting gunmen," the sources said.
The operation covered the main roads and axis used by the gunmen in their movements in the area. The sources said at least three gunmen preferred to surrender in order to benefit from general amnesty granted to repenting militants in line with President Abdel Aziz Boutefliqa's peace and national reconciliation pact.
The deadline to accept the pardon expires August 28.
The sources quoted repenting gunmen as saying that members of the Sakafi movement, one of Algeria's most feared armed groups, were suffering in remote mountainous hideouts from shortages of food and sickness.
"This state prompted many to consider surrendering to the authorities and benefiting from the amnesty before it expires," the sources added.
In a related development, daily al-Fahr said Monday security authorities have been engaged in the past days in contacts through intermediaries with the remnants of two armed groups, the Zabarbar and Kadissiya, which are affiliated with the GSPC movement, to convince them to surrender.
The paper said the movement's imprisoned founder, Hassan Hattab, was convinced of the benefits of national reconciliation and is encouraging holdouts to accept the terms and lay down their arms.
