Death Toll Rises as Violence Persists

Armed men killed 32 people in three weekend attacks, including 17 people whose throats were slit, security forces said. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks, but authorities lay the blame for violence racking Algeria on Islamic insurgents trying to topple the military-backed regime. A statement by the security forces, read on state-run radio, said armed men slit the throats of 17 people early Sunday near Saida, 275 miles southwest of Algiers. Seven others were wounded in the attack, the radio said.