Algiers: Algerian soldiers shot dead two armed Islamists on Tuesday in an operation some 125 kilometres (75 miles) southeast of the capital, the defence ministry said.
It said in a statement that the clash took place near Kadiria in the Bouira district.
Two Kalashnikov assault rifles, ammunition and binoculars were recovered in the operation which was still ongoing, it said.
According to the ministry, soldiers last year killed or captured "157 terrorists".
Algeria suffered a civil war in the 1990s between the government and Islamists that killed 200,000 people.
Despite adopting a peace and reconciliation charter in 2005 aimed at turning the page on the conflict, armed groups remain active in the centre and east of the country.
AFP
