Algeria kills 14 in crackdown on suspected militants

Algeria said Friday that its security forces have killed 14 suspected militants in an ongoing operation in one of the country's last strongholds of militant Islamists.

According to a defence ministry statement, nine were killed on Friday and five others on Wednesday around Bouira, 100km east of the capital, Algiers.

Accompanying raids seized three semi-automatic rifles, five pistols and munitions from the fighters.

The ministry described this week's operations as part of an effort to "bring to an end these criminal groups and the plague of terrorism in our country".

Algeria is currently cracking down on extremist militants that are believed to be associated wiht the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda's North African branch.

Similar raids were carried out by Tunisia on Friday near its border with Algeria, where Islamist militants have established bases in the mountanous Sammama mountain region.