Terrorists to appear in court for smuggling 1,200 prisoners and kidnapping 32 foreign tourists

Four men will appear in a court in Algiers on Tuesday for breaking into in a prison in Algeria and kidnapping 32 European tourists.

In 1994, a total of 1,200 prisoners escaped from  Lampese prison in the province of Batna (450 km east of Algiers) as Abdelmadjid alias Asem Abu Okba, Nacer alias Saleh Abu Yakoub, Benalia and Abdelbasset broke into the prison.

They told investigators the attack was planned by a terrorist group led by Nabil Sahraoui nicknamed Abu Ibrahim. Nacer and another activist contacted two prison guards ahead of the crime.

The guards suggested to break into the prison at Iftar time during the fasting month of Ramadan. They used two guns and two Kalashnikovs and gave them to prisoners. A total of 91 weapons, 3 gun machines and 51 tear gases were stolen. Sahraoui divided up the prisoners into six groups of 200 each. They were taken to Ain Kercha mountains in Oum Bouagui, Taghda and Chlaalaa.