Desert Leader Abu Ammar Kidnapped Austrian Tourists In Tunisia: Source

The group which abducted two Austrian tourists is in Algerian eastern borders with Libya and Tunisia. It was trying to take the tourists to northern Mali where Abu Ammar “the Desert Leader” was going to deal with negotiations. However, it was impossible for the group to do that and it moved to borders between Tunisia and Libya, Echorouk has learnt.

Algerian security sources believe that the kidnappers are the same who were behind the assassination of border guards in Oued Souf province (south of Algiers).

Security coordination has been carried out in the area to tighten the nose on the group, according to the same sources.

The attempt to take the hostages to northern Mali and not Algeria is meant to keep the Algerian army out and avoid any intervention from it in the negotiations.

Algerian security sources said they expected that the command of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb would move out of Algeria’s borders since it announced its affiliation to Al-Qaeda in 2006.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (ex-GSPC) led by Abdelmalek Drudkel faced strong opposition from armed organisations and religion scholars because of its suicide attacks strategy.

Drudkel tried to “clean” his group by carrying out “qualitative” attacks to gain the trust of Al’Qaeda’s leaders who expect a lot from the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in Africa, according to experts.

Suspects for being involved in the killing of French tourists in Mauritania revealed the new strategy of Drudkel’s organisation. It is based on attacking hotels and restaurants where there foreigners as well as airports, police and armed forces stations and the State’s strategic companies.

It is believed that Drudkel’s command tries to justify the abduction of the Austrian tourists as a respond to massacres committed against Palestinians.

According to a statement released by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the tourists are in Algeria expecting that security forces could define their hideout.

The group informed Austrian authorities that any military respond from the Algerian State would expose the tourists’ lives to danger.

It is an attempt to push Austrian authorities to put pressure on the Algerian authorities to not deal with any military intervention, observers say.

This “warning” reflects the desire of the terrorist organisation to negotiate later when it indicates a demands list to “free the two hostages.”

Earlier, the GSPC claimed responsibility for the assassination of French tourists in Mauritania. The arrested suspects admitted that they carried out the attack following an order from Mokhtar Belmokhtar (Khaled Abu Abbas) alias Al-Aaouar, a GSPC’s former senior member and under the supervision of Abu Ammar, the Desert Leader.

The group abducted the tourists to ask for ransom as the organisation is having difficulties to get money, the suspects said.