Newspaper reports in Algeria say that at least twenty six Islamic militants have been killed by the security forces during the past three days.

La Tribune reports that sixteen members of the Armed Islamic Group, GIA, and one government soldier, were killed when the rebels tried to break through a security cordon around the capital, Algiers.

Another newspaper, L'Authentique, says that ten rebels were killed by government troops in the eastern region of Annaba.

The daily, La Liberte, also reports that several bomb disposal experts were killed on Thursday in Bordj-Menaiel region, 60 kilometres east of Algiers,as they were defusing a bomb planted by rebels at the main power plant in the area.