The truth about Tibhirine monks assassination

The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) is behind the assassination of seven French monks in the province of Medea in 1996, according to former terrorists who worked for the group.

The testimonies were published by French magazine Marianne which cited a documentary due to be broadcast on May 2rd on France 3.

This comes amid France’s attempts to get the Algerian army involved in the assassination.

The magazine said the documentary directors Malik Aït Aoudia and Severine Labat had to wait for years to find direct witnesses and give evidence about the GIA’s involvement in the murder.

Hassan Hattab, a former member in the GIA and founder of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Fighting said the group leader Zitouni told him he had killed the monks.

Abu Imane who attended the murder said terrorists slaughtered the monks using knives. “Take this [a knife] and slaughter them. I was scared. He pushed me and he started slaughtering,” he said.

According to Abu Mohamed, a senior member of the GIA, Zitouni decided to kill the monks. “It was not easy to get rid of their bodies. So, they cut them. They buried them in Bouguerra Mountains in Blida. I carried the heads in a car and threw them on the street.”