Monday, Jan 28, 2013
Terrorists Sunday attacked guards protecting an Algerian natural-gas pipeline, killing and wounding several but failing to blow up the facility, an official with state-owned oil company Sonatrach said Monday.
The official said the guards were attacked in Djebahia, 125 kilometers southeast of Algiers in the Bouira region, part of the Kabylie mountain area--al Qaeda's last stronghold in northern Algeria.
The official said three guards were killed, but earlier press reports had said two were killed.
"They attacked with mortar, but it didn't hit the pipeline," he said.
The attack comes nearly a fortnight after a deadly Islamist attack on a gas plant in Algeria's southern Sahara desert, in a hostage-taking siege that ended with the deaths of at least 37 foreigners.
Write to Benoit Faucon benoit.faucon@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
28-01-13 1701GMT
