31 Slaughtered in Town Near Algiers, Paper Says

ALGIERS — A band of men armed with knives and axes decapitated 31 people who had been forced into the streets from their homes in Medea, south of the capital, the El Watan newspaper reported Sunday.

The attack by about 50 men took place early Saturday, the newspaper quoted local residents as saying.

El Watan said a Medea resident called the paper, saying, “You have to do something. More than 30 people had their throats slit. Soon they’re going to exterminate the entire town.”

The French-language newspaper said 31 bodies were taken to the morgue at Medea Hospital. Security forces moved into the neighborhood Saturday, it said.

The attack was the latest in a series of village massacres and car bombings that has intensified since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Jan. 10. Since then, about 310 people are known to have been killed.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s massacre, but suspicion fell on Muslim militants.

Algeria’s insurgency began after the army canceled legislative elections in 1992 to thwart a likely victory by the Islamic Salvation Front, which was banned. At least 60,000 people have been killed in the insurgency.