Islamists kill three women

Algiers (AFP) - Islamic extremists killed three women yesterday near Algiers, bringing to seven the number killed since Saturday. Police believe the attacks are part of a campaign against families of the security forces. An ultimatum by the Armed Islamic Group that dependants would be killed if arrested "women believers" were not freed expired last Thursday.

The latest victims died in Reghaia, 10 miles east of Algiers, where two teenage sisters, one of them engaged to a policeman, were shot dead at the weekend.

Yesterday armed fundamentalists raided the home of Halima Toumi, 29, killing her and Hafida Bougerra, 25. In another attack a woman, named as Zineb, 39, was killed with her husband at their home

Islamic groups have also targeted women for failing to obey Islamic law. On Monday they abducted a 15-year-old from school and slit her throat a few metres from the building.