The Algerian army has captured 1,551 illegal migrants, during military operations in several provinces over a week.
The Algerian Ministry of Defense explained that during the period from March 13th to 19th, as part of the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, the terrorist “Rikan Al-Safah” was apprehended.
He was active within terrorist groups abroad, and 15 support elements for terrorist groups were arrested during various operations across Algerian territories.
According to the statement, the Algerian army succeeded in capturing 27 drug traffickers and thwarting attempts to smuggle drugs into Algerian territory across the borders.
In the context of combating illegal migration, the Algerian Coast Guard successfully foiled attempts of illegal migration by 355 individuals aboard makeshift boats and apprehended 1,551 illegal migrants of various nationalities in several Algerian provinces.
The background of terrorism in Algeria is deeply intertwined with the country’s political and social history, particularly during the tumultuous period known as the “Black Decade” in the 1990s.
The conflict began in late 1991 after the military cancelled the parliamentary elections that the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) was poised to win, leading to a violent insurgency led by the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and later the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which had ties to al-Qaeda.
A European humanitarian organization has issued a stark warning, declaring 2023 as the worst year for deaths in the Mediterranean due to illegal immigration, with concerns that the numbers may continue to rise.
Marie Michel, a migration policy expert associated with the Italian branch of the German non-governmental organization Sos Humanity, conveyed this troubling information in a statement reported by the Italian news agency AKI on Thursday.
Michel expressed deep concern, stating, “A large number of people have drowned in the central Mediterranean region in 2023 compared to the previous year.”
She criticized the Italian government, claiming that instead of enhancing rescue capabilities, it has worsened the humanitarian catastrophe on the world’s deadliest migration route, hindering the efforts of non-governmental search and rescue organizations.
