59 People Reportedly Killed in 3 Attacks

Armed attackers slit the throats of 59 people in three separate assaults in Algeria, the military government announced on the radio. The report marked the first time since October that Algerian authorities had reported news of the deaths of civilians, which are usually attributed to Islamic militants. The official statement did not indicate who was behind the killings, which took place late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning. The attacks come just one week before Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and prayer. In this North African nation, Ramadan has been characterized by a stepped-up violence since early 1992, when the military-backed government canceled legislative elections that Islamic fundamentalist parties were poised to win.