Islamic State group claims attack against Algeria army base

The Islamic State group Tuesday claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb attack against the Algerian army that killed a soldier.

The Algerian defence ministry had said that a suicide attacker had blown up his vehicle Sunday while trying to penetrate a base in Timiaouine area, near the border with Mali, more than 1,700 kilometres (1050 miles) south of the capital Algiers.

According to a statement published on IS Telegram online messenger channels, a “martyrdom-seeking brother” detonated a car bomb at the base, “killing and wounding dozens, destroying multiple vehicles and causing material damage to the base”.

A soldier on guard was killed while stopping the vehicle from entering the base, the defence ministry said.

Sunday’s attack came as Algeria is seeking involvement in attempts to resolve regional crises in Libya and the Sahel, a region that jihadist groups have been targeting with increasingly audacious attacks.

The Islamic State group also claimed a previous suicide attack against Algerian forces in August 2017.

Two Algerian policemen were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives vest while trying to enter a police station in Tiaret, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of Algiers.