Two Customs Officers Shot Dead By Their Colleague in Tamenrasset

A customs officer serving in the border station of Ain Guezam, 400 km southern Tamenrasset, killed two of his colleagues with his Kalashnikov machinegun Thursday evening.

The customs officer in question is 22 years old, named M.Maamar, hailed from El Oued province, while the two victims were identified as Khedim Mahfoud, 22, from Ouargla and Bourezma Abderrahmane, 35, from Tamenrasset.

Concordant sources said the tragic scene occurred during the night watch of the three customs officers, when, suddenly, the defendant shot his colleagues and left them dead.

The sources added that the killer surrendered willingly to security services in Ain Guezam, while the two dead bodies were carried to the morgue of Tamenrasset hospital, where an autopsy operation should be conducted, the outcome of which will be filled to the general prosecutor at the Court of Tamenrasset. 

The defendant has enrolled into the Customs a year ago, and does not suffer any psychological troubles, the sources said.

Yet, the circumstances of this tragic crime are still unknown, as an investigation was opened on this unprecedented case in the region. 

Meanwhile, General Director of Customs Department has ordered to take in charge the funeral ceremony, and sent a specialist team to the spot to collect more details on this case.

To recall, a customs officer was shot dead by an unknown armed group, last month, in Tin Zaouatine locality, 470 km away from Tamenrasset.