The ministry of Defense in Algeria has announced the arrest of twelve terror suspects in security operations in the county cracking down on different terror outfits in the Sahel and Maghreb regions of Africa. The Algerian army has been intensifying its activity in regions that were controlled by extremists years ago.
Nine of the detainees were arrested for the possession of weapons and three for supporting extremist groups. The nine are said to have been arrested in Guezzam and Tamanrasset, near the border of Algeria with Niger. Niger has been battling a spillover of terror threats from neighboring countries like Nigeria, Libya, and Mali. The three other suspects were detained in Setif (300 kilometers east of the capital Algiers) on suspicion of supporting terrorists.
The border regions are known hubs for arms smuggling and human and drug trafficking. The hubs have become even more active and porous as Africans in the war-ridden countries of West Africa attempt to immigrate into Europe. In Algeria, security services have been dismantling several networks specializing in transferring young recruits to IS strongholds, particularly in Syria via Turkey.
