Salafist leader calls for IS embassy in Algeria
The Algerian government has warned against promoting extremism after a Salafist leader called for opening an embassy for the Islamic State group in Algeria.
1 min read
26 Jun, 2015
The Algerian army killed the leader of an IS-linked group [AFP]
Salafist leader Abdel Fattah Zarawi told Algerian radio station Echorouk FM that he was "willing to open an Islamic State IS embassy in Algeria", prompting the Algerian government to warn against promoting extremism, reported the Algeria World news website.
Zarawi, leader of the Algerian Free Islamist Salafist Awakening Front, said he was willing to open an IS embassy in Algeria if other countries took the same step.
Following his statements, the Algerian Ministry of Communications warned the country's media outlets against promoting extremism.
Zarawi's Salafist Awakening group was not the first Algerian group to announce support for the IS. In 2014, militant group Jund al-Khalifa pledged allegiance to the IS after breaking away from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and executing a French hostage.
The Algerian army responded by killing the group's leader Abdel Malek al-Qouri, later that year.
Zarawi, leader of the Algerian Free Islamist Salafist Awakening Front, said he was willing to open an IS embassy in Algeria if other countries took the same step.
Following his statements, the Algerian Ministry of Communications warned the country's media outlets against promoting extremism.
Zarawi's Salafist Awakening group was not the first Algerian group to announce support for the IS. In 2014, militant group Jund al-Khalifa pledged allegiance to the IS after breaking away from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and executing a French hostage.
The Algerian army responded by killing the group's leader Abdel Malek al-Qouri, later that year.
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