Authorities freed 172 Muslim fundamentalists from a detention camp in the Sahara on Saturday, leaving about 4,000 still in custody, state radio reported.
Algeria has been under pressure from human-rights groups to free the detainees from the Sahara camps, where summer temperatures in soar above 120 degrees.Meanwhile, bombing attacks against two police stations were reported. The bombings occurred Thursday and Friday nights in the eastern city of Constantine, the official APS news agency reported. No was injured.
The report did not specify the extent of the damage. APS cited no suspects, but the bombings come amid a wave of attacks against police by hardcore Islamic fundamentalists.
In Salah is one of the seven camps established in February to hold nearly 7,000 people who were arrested in a crackdown on the Islamic Salvation Front. The crackdown began after the military canceled parliamentary elections the fundamentalists were winning and declared a state of emergency.
The radio, citing security sources, said the freed fundamentalists were taken home by airplane and bus from the In Salah detention center.
Another 215 fundamentalists were freed Friday from In Salah, Reggane, and Al Homr camps.
The releases were made to mark the Muslim holiday of Aid al-Adha, the radio said.
The radio also reported that 15 Islamic fundamentalists were arrested during holiday celebrations Thursday. They were marching in the streets of Bou Saada, 220 miles south of Algiers, and chanting slogans backing the Islamic Salvation Front, which was banned in the crackdown, the radio said.
The Interior Minister announced Wednesday that some 2,000 detainees had been freed recently, in addition to 1,000 freed earlier.