Algerian Islamic rebels kill mother and children

Algerian Islamic militants killed a mother and her two children in western Algeria, state radio said on Monday, as violence in the north African country escalated amid talk of a large-scale rebel surrender.
The family's father survived the attack in a village near Relizane, 250 km (160 miles) west of the capital Algiers, in the early hours of Sunday. He suffered unspecified bullet wounds.

The rebels set fire to the family's home after the mother and her children, aged five and nine, were stabbed to death with a knife, the daily El Watan said.

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Political analysts said the escalation in violence was linked to the reported surrender negotiations, as the rebel leadership resisted alleged moves by several hundred Islamic militants seeking amnesty.

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