49 Deaths In Day Of Violence In Algeria

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29802, 19 April 1962, Page 13

49 Deaths In Day Of Violence In Algeria

(N.Z.P. A ■•Reuter—Copyright) ORAN (Western Algeria), April 18. Forty-three Moslems and six Europeans died yesterday in one of the worst days of violence in Algeria since last month’s cease-fire.

Sporadic fighting between the European and Moslem communities culminated in an O.A.S machine-gun attack on a Moslem suburb, in which about 20 people were killed. Demonstrations flared in all Moslem quarters of the city last night. A European was lynched, a bus machine-gunned, and cars stoned Shooting was still going on about midnight. Newspaper Explosion Three Europeans were found with their throats cut in Algiers, where five European terrorists also blew up part ot the office of the newspaper “Journal d’Alger." Nobody was reported injured. The terrorists had ordered the evacuation of the building before they planted the explosives in the director’s office. Recently the "Journal d'Alger” and other newspapers were warned by the O.A.S. not to report the activities of the Provisional Executive, which is preparing Algeria's approach to independence.

Gunmen held up two post offices in Algiers, Reuter reported. They stole 20,000,000 old francs from one, and about 12,000,000 old francs from the other. About 10 plastic explosions went off in the city during :he night. A T.N.T explosion wrecked a bank manager’s car and a plastic charge exploded in a private commercial school. All the students were at lunch. In Philippeville, eastern Algeria, two plastic bombs wounded three Moslems and caused considerable damage during the night Meeting With President The French High Commissioner in Algeria (Mr Christian Fouchet) flew to Paris yesterday and conferred for nearly an hour with President de Gaulle, the British United Press said. A nine-man O.AS. commando unit disarmed a police officer on a busy street in Algiers and escaped into the crowd. The officer arrived with several constables to investi-

gate a shooting. While his men were speaking to witnesses, the O.A.S. approached the officer in his jeep, ordered him out, took his arms, and then disappeared into the crowd. At daybreak, Moslems stoned European cars at the approaches to the Moslem suburb of Sanchidrian. wounding bne driver. Security forces were sent to the area. Bazooka Attack Earlier, Sanchidrian was attacked with bazookas and several hundred Moslems marched towards the nearby European quarter of Cite des Castors, which is protected by barbed wire. European watchmen immediately gave the alert and sounded alarm sirens. Shots were fired. Eight Moslems, including a woman and two children, were killed in the attack, police sources said. Crowds of Moslems surged into the streets in the Moslem quarter of Lamur in Oran this evening and lynched a European. Security forces immediately sealed off the area.