Four armed individuals were handed over to the military authorities in the province of Bordj Badji Mokhtar, located in the extreme south of Algeria, close to the Malian border, according to a press release issued on Monday by the Algerian Ministry of Defense.
The ministry said that “this large-scale action bears witness to the effectiveness of the strategy adopted by the High Command of the National People’s Army to eradicate terrorism and guarantee security and tranquillity throughout the country”.
To counter the infiltration of terrorists and weapons, Algeria has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers along its southern and eastern borders, against a backdrop of instability in Mali and Libya.
The country has also opened safe corridors along its southern border, encouraging Algerian militants who have joined terrorist groups in the Sahel to surrender in exchange for fair trials.