ALGIERS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Algerian counter-terrorism forces arrested seven suspects associated with terrorism in the province of Batna, 400 km southeast of Algiers, Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
"As part of the fight against terrorism, and thanks to efficient exploitation of intelligence, army forces on Friday managed to arrest a terrorist and six members of a group which provided support to terrorists in Batna," read the statement.
Army troops retrieved in this operation a hunt riffle and a shotgun, the source added.
Later last month, Algeria launched a large-scale counter-terrorism operation in the eastern region, killing six militants and arresting seven others including five women.
Located in a region plagued by unprecedented security and political instability, Algeria faces ongoing terrorist threats.
A few militants affiliated to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and recently established Daesh affiliate groups are sheltering in the dense woods in the north and remote desert areas near the troubled Libya and Mali.
