Algeria elections security plan comes into force

Algerian presidential security plan has come into force following recent terrorist attacks while it was supposed to be launched on the eve of the electoral campaign on March 17.

• “Security forces adopted preventive and anticipated measures to foil any potential terrorist attack,” a security officer told Echorouk on Saturday.
• “The so-called the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) is likely to carry out spectacular attacks in Algiers and suspicious areas,” he added.
• Security measures have been tightened up in police stations with the use of bomb detectors and scanners.
• Police have lunched a series of raids in suspicious areas and increased the number of policemen in civilian clothes in public areas.
• According to observers, those measures are meant to foil any criminal and terrorist plans ahead of the Algerian presidential elections due to be held in April 9.
• Security forces are focusing on the eastern side of Boumerdes province (50 km east of Algiers) which is considered as the GSPC’s main stronghold.
• Previoulsy, security investigations showed that suicide bombers and car bombs came from Boumerdes.
• About 150 policemen including 50 in civilian clothes were mobilised in eastern Algiers last week to carry out a military operation in the area.