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16 civilians killed in Algerian roadblock

ALGIERS: Muslim militants disguised as government soldiers killed up to 16 civilians and seriously wounded 12 others at a fake roadblock in northern Algeria, newspapers reported on Tuesday.

The militants, wearing military fatigues, stopped two vans near Khemis Meliana town, some 150 km (90 miles) southwest of Algiers, in Monday's attack and opened fire on the passengers, the reports said.

La Tribune daily put the death toll at 16, with 12 seriously wounded, whereas Le Matin reported 15 dead.

The massacre lasted about two hours and took place a few hundreds metres (yards) away from a government army post, Le Matin said.

Both newspapers blamed the attack on the Armed Islamic Group (GIA).

The GIA and the other hardline Da'wa wal Jihad group rejected an amnesty which expired last month. The amnesty was the key plank of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's peace plan to end eight years of violence in which he says 100,000 people have been killed.-Reuters