Algeria's Prime Minister vowed that national elections will go ahead next month despite suicide bombing attacks claimed by Al-Qaeda killed close to 30 people and wounded many others in the capital.
"The objective was a media provocation shortly before the election," scheduled for May 17, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem told Al-Arabiya television late on Wednesday.
"Those who resort to violence exclude themselves from the political process and elections form part of that political process."
The bombings, which followed closely after suicide blasts in neighbouring Morocco, were claimed by Al-Qaeda's branch in North Africa, which published photographs of what it said were the three Algiers suicide bombers in an Internet statement.
The statement on an Islamist website often used by the Al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden said the car bombings killed at least 53 people.
The first of yesterday's attacks was carried out by a bomber who drove an explosives-laden car into a guard post outside the government headquarters in central Algiers, police said.
Minutes later, bombers driving two cars triggered explosions in the eastern suburb of Bab Ezzouar, on the road to the international airport and not far from one of Algeria's largest universities.
{{/usCountry}}Minutes later, bombers driving two cars triggered explosions in the eastern suburb of Bab Ezzouar, on the road to the international airport and not far from one of Algeria's largest universities.
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