Algerian army kills five militants

29 April 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

Algeria's army killed five militants on Tuesday in the region of Tizi Ouzou east of Algiers, the Defence Ministry said.

The militants were ambushed in Akerrou village some 100 km (60 miles) to the east of the capital, the ministry said in a statement. Weapons and ammunitions were seized in the operation.

The ministry gave no further details but the region is home to Islamic State's local branch known as Jund Al Khilafa, whose leader Abdelmalek Gouri was killed there in December.

Algeria, recovering from more than a decade of violence in the 1990s, is a key U.S. ally in its fight against militants in the Sahel.