2008 Issers bombing

Overview

On August 19, 2008, a suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a crowd of para-military recruits who were waiting to take entrance exams outside a police academy in Issers, in Boumerdès Province, Algeria. The attack killed 43 people and injured 38 others.

International and official reactions

The attack drew condemnation from multiple governments and international bodies. The European Union, then under the French presidency, issued a statement condemning "the terrorist acts that have just claimed so many lives," describing the Algerian people as "once again victims of blind and barbaric terrorist violence."

Algerian Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni characterized the bombing as "an act against Algerians," stating that "these terrorist gangs are seeking through attacks against civilians to loosen the net closing around them as the security forces drive them to the wall."

French Prime Minister François Fillon phoned his Algerian counterpart to pledge "the support of France in the fight against terrorism." Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed support for Algeria's leadership.

Mohamed Abdelaziz, president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, condemned what he called "the coward terrorist attacks in Issers and Bouira (Algeria), which caused the loss of innocent lives," and reiterated solidarity with Algeria.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos telephoned his Algerian counterpart to convey condolences and support. A statement from the Spanish foreign ministry expressed "indignation and its firm condemnation of the cowardly terrorist attack" against the civilian population of Bouira, noting it came "just one day after the attack in Issers," indicating a related attack occurred in Bouira around the same period.