“Terror Battalion” hunted “recruited” in mosque in eastern Algeria

The trial of two young men from Constantine province (east of Algiers) Tuesday in a court in Algiers for terror charges showed that terrorist groups rely on mosques and religious seminars within and outside homeland. They recruit Algerians in Al-Qaeda’s ranks after misleading them with the idea of illegitimate “Jihad” idea in Iraq and Afghanistan.   

Like El-Wafa mosque in Algiers which was mentioned in many armed cases, the name of Omar Bin Abdulaziz mosque in Constantine was stated on Tuesday. The two men B.Adel and B.Abdul Malik used to frequent it. They are accused of belonging to a terrorist group operating inside and outside Algeria, praising terrorist acts and financing terrorist groups.

In March 2007, security forces learnt that terrorist networks operating inside and outside the country contact youths to recruit them.

Preliminary information indicate that the “Horror Battalion” mandated to the seventh province, Skikda and Constantine headed by certain Abu Ayyach, recruits some young people for “ Jihad” through the mosque of Omar Bin Abdulaziz. Then, security forces arrested both (B.Adel) and (B.Abdulmalik) on suspicion of being involved with this group.

During the hearing, (A.Adel) denied his relationship with any terrorist group stating that he was actually frequenting Omar Bin Abdulaziz mosque and attending seminars there. He met with Yacine who gave him letters about “Jihad”. However, he refused because he was preparing for wedding. Here, he had been stopped by the judge because he said on his first revelations that he actually met a certain Belkacem at Omar Bin Abdulaziz mosque and he asked him to recruit young people to join the group. He also helped a Tunisian by letting him stay at his home for 6 days in order to take him to the groups.  He met the group’s Leader in “Jebel el wahche” and gave him some donations. The accused denied those statements considering that “he said them under pressure”.

  In the same context, second accused (B.Abdelmalek) denied all statements. So, the judge told him: “you admitted that your case goes back to 2004 when you knew Abu Dajana from Iraq via the Internet and you talkde about joining Iraq. The latter told you must be accepted by the group in Algeria”. The accused denied all that claiming that he has heard it for the first time. He denied his relationship with recruiters and said he did not know the Tunisian.