« Salafist group »’s logistic base in the west of Algeria

Research platoon at the provincial gendarmerie of Tlemcen province (west of Algeria) is investigating on the source of firearms, which were seized on Saturday, after the discovery of a workshop for manufacturing weapons, firearms, military ammunition and warship equipment. 

• Confirmed sources told Echorouk that, the operation came after the receipt of information by the research platoon, about an old woman, who manufactured traditional firearms, and maintain them after mobilizing the gunpowder and bullets, that is why the investigators led a surveillance on the suspect, thus, they discovered the secret workshop, which is located inside the old woman’s house, and working since the seventies in this field.
• Gendarmes seized in this workshop about 14 firearms, and a significant quantity of ammunition, black powder and maintaining tools and equipments. The source refused to give more details about the investigation’s background “which is still ongoing”.
• This is the second issue of this kind, after the last year’s one, which was treated by the provincial gendarmerie of Tlemcen province, where they revealed on the existence of a workshop in a migrant investor’s house, who owned a restaurant in the centre of Tlemcen.
• Some security sources, in relation with the file, do not exclude the local organization’s financing in the region, where the “Group of the Salafist Preaching Supporters” under the leadership of the so-called “Mohamed ben Salim” known as “ Salim Alafghani”, who is facing great difficulties in recruiting new elements, ammunition, financing and weapons, under the siege imposed by the Algerian army troops, which eliminated a considerable number of his fellows this year’s beginning.