Le Soir d'Algérie bombing

On the afternoon of 11 February 1996, at around 15:45, a car bomb containing an estimated 300 kilograms of TNT detonated at 100 rue Hassiba Ben Bouali in Algiers, outside the headquarters of the newspaper Le Soir d'Algérie. The bombing was carried out by militants of the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA), an armed group active during the Algerian Civil War.

The explosion killed 29 people. Among the dead were three journalists working for Le Soir d'Algérie: Allaoua Ait M'barak, Mohamed Dorbane, and Djamel Derraz. In the aftermath, staff of Le Soir d'Algérie relocated temporarily to the offices of the newspaper El Watan to continue their work. With encouragement from fellow journalists and the wider Algerian media community, the newspaper resumed publication on 25 February 1996 — roughly two weeks after the bombing. The paper subsequently moved into a new office building, which was formally inaugurated by Ahmed Ouyahia, though the source does not specify his role or title at the time of the inauguration.

The attack is described only as being attributed to the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria as an organization, without identification of specific perpetrators.

This bombing occurred during a period of sustained violence in Algeria targeting journalists and media institutions, and it has been cross-referenced alongside other attacks on press organizations, such as the Charlie Hebdo massacre.