A bomb placed by Islamic rebels exploded at a cemetery south of the Algerian capital, killing three women and injuring five others visiting loved ones during the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, newspapers said today.
The home-made bomb blew up at the entrance of a mausoleum in Ain Romana some 50 km (30 miles) south of Algiers on Friday, the second day of the Muslim feast, newspaper El Khabar said.
The area has traditionally been a hotbed for rebel activity, particularly by the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), which authorities said last week was dismantled after years of deadly attacks.
Separately, a soldier had his throat slit by rebels of the al Qaeda-aligned Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) at a fake road block on the eve of the two-day holiday in the Bejaia province some 100 km east of Algiers, newspapers said.
Rebels dressed as soldiers and carrying Kalashnikov AK-47s took money and mobile phones from several other motorists and handed out GSPC leaflets, El Khabar said citing witnesses.
Authorities were not immediately available for comment. This month some 40 people have died in violence related to an Islamic conflict, which began in 1992 when the army cancelled parliamentary elections a hardline Islamic political party was poised to win. Authorities feared an Iranian-style revolution.