Five soldiers killed in mine explosion in eastern Algeria

ALGIERS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- As many as five Algerian soldiers were killed Wednesday when a home-made mine exploded near the Tunisian border, local media reported.

Quoting a security source, El Khabar newspaper said in its electronic website that a high ranking officer was among the 5 victims, while two other soldiers were injured.

The source specified that the mine exploded at the passage of a patrol of soldiers which was on its way to back up army troops who are conducting a wide scale dragging operation along the border with Tunisia.

The dead corps were transferred to the morgue of the military hospital in the eastern province of Constantine, while the injured soldiers were rushed to hospital to get medical treatments.

Some elements of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), led by Abdelmalek Droukdel, alias Abu Musab Abdelwadoud, 47, are scattered in the eastern mountains and forests of northern Algeria.

The terrorists tend to plough home-made mines and conduct occasional attacks against army or police forces by targeting their patrols.

Located in a region plagued by unprecedented security and political instability, Algeria faces ongoing terrorist threats, as tens of thousands of troops are deployed on eastern and southern border to thwart potential intrusion of militants. Enditem