ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - Unidentified armed assailants killed 10 people in an overnight attack south of Algiers, the nation's official news agency said Saturday.
The attack occurred in the Mousziz region, 35 miles from the capital, according to APS.
No other details were released.
Islamic militants have waged a nine-year campaign of violence to try to topple Algeria's military-backed government. More than 100,000 people have been killed in the insurgency.
According to Western political observers, efforts by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika have yielded uncertain results. Bouteflika was elected on promises of ending the civil war, and when he offered a partial amnesty last year to militants who surrendered, about 6,000 insurgents accepted.
But the violence continues. The Algerian press says 100 people have died at the hands of armed groups in July alone.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Villagers stand around the coffin of a victim in the village of Berrouaghia in the Medea region, 45 miles south of Algiers, Algeria, Tuesday, July 17, 2001. Islamic militants killed 12 people overnight Monday. More than 700 people have been killed in violence related to the insurgency since the beginning of the year, the Algerian media has reported. (AP Photo)
- Jul 18 12:14 PM ET