Maximum state of alert at southern borders: “11 Gendarmes assassinated by terrorist group near Tin-Zawatine”

An unidentified armed group assassinated early Wednesday, eleven members of the National Gendarmerie who were ensuring security at the border post of Tin-Zawatine in southern Algeria.  

• The terrorist attack was planned meticulously and the Gendarmes were taken aback at their security post at around 5. am in the morning in an isolated post in Tin-Zawatine on the border with Mali and at about 600 kilometers South of the city of Tamanrasset.
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• The casualty toll was unfortunately heavy : 11 Gendarmes assassinated, 4 others seriously wounded and 5 vehicles burnt during this terrorist onslaught.
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• According to first indications given to “Echorouk”, the terrorists came by night on board five “Station” – type vehicles with heavy weaponry.
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• The terrorists’ objective was obviously to take over the entire border post but the swift intervention by the Gendarmes on the spot made their sinister scheme fall through.
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• The exchanges of fire between the two sides lasted more than an hour and seeing the Gendarmes’ adamant resistance, the attacking terrorists were forced to pull back and to quit the area on board their waiting vehicles.
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• The injured Gendarmes were later taken by helicopter to Tamanrasset hospital for first-aid medical treatment.
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• In the aftermath of this ill-fated terrorist attack, the Commander of the third military region rushed to Tin-Zawatine and ordered a large-scale air and ground military combing operation in the entire region to track down those behind this horrendous terrorist assault.
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