The Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, which claimed responibility for the attacks in Algiers is a radical group committed to overthrowing the Algerian Government.

It changed its name from the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat and continued its struggle after the 1990s civil war.

Whether this group acts independently of al-Qaeda, or is actually has concrete links to the organisation, is unknown. But there is no doubt that it is a sophisticated body.

Its members are battle-hardened terrorists who have been involved in a decade of civil war, and the signs that they are escalating their conflict will be ominous for the Algerian Government.

The attacks will also be viewed with some dread by European Governments and, in particular, the former colonial power France, which was targeted by Algerian terrorists several years ago.

France will be concerned that, if this organisation becomes operational in Europe, foreign Governments will once again be targeted.

At this stage, the prospect of such attacks appears to have been raised by the increased targeting of international and Western symbols within Algeria.

In September, a bomb aimed at French and Italian tourists around 70km east of Algiers injured several, and one of the bombs today targeted a UN building.

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