'IS-affiliated' suicide bomber kills three police officers in Algeria

The attacker tried to get inside the police station, but was forced to explode his device outside after the officers kept him out.

MENA

2 min read

Robert Cusack

31 August, 2017

An Algerian police officer standing outside Parliament [AFP]

At least three police officers were killed in a suicide bombing on a police station in the town of Tiaret on Thursday morning.

An Algerian police officer told The New Arab that initial reports connected the attack with the extremist group, Jund al-Khilafa, an al-Qaeda breakaway faction which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State group.

When asked why security forces had not done more to prevent the attack, the officer said on the condition of anonymity: "You can be as good as you want but when it comes to suicide bombers there is nothing you can do.

"You can only try to reduce damage but it is at the few seconds remaining before the attacker blows himself up," he added.

According to several eyewitnesses, one of the dead police officers had prevented the attacker from entering the town's main police station, saving a large number of lives.

The attacker then exploded his device outside the building shortly before 8am Algerian time.

The authorities are currently working to discover the attacker's identity.

Jund al-Khalifa were first reported on when they captured the French tourist, Herve Gourdel, in 2014. The group beheaded Gourdel in an online video the following day, ten days after they pledged allegiance to IS on September 14, 2014. The group's leader reportedly comes from Tiaret.