ALGIERS — 1997 · Major Tragedy
The Bentalha Massacre
On the night of 22-23 September 1997 an armed group attacked the Hai el-Djilali quarter of Bentalha, a village about 15 kilometres south of Algiers. The assault began with explosions at around 11:30 pm and lasted until 5 am, the attackers moving from house to house. The death toll is disputed: the initial official figure was 85, Amnesty International reported more than 200, and independent sources over 400. The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) claimed responsibility, and one of its members was sentenced to death in 2004. Survivors said army vehicles stationed outside the village did not intervene, which became a long-running controversy. The massacre was one of the worst events of Algeria's civil war of the 1990s.
- Date
- 1997
- Place
- Bentalha, Algeria, Algiers, DZ
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 36.6400, 3.0880 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 22 September 1997, 11:30 pmAn armed group attacked Bentalha.
- 23 September 1997, 5 amThe attackers left without meeting resistance.
- 26 September 1997The GIA claimed responsibility.
- 2004A GIA member was sentenced to death.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Bentalha massacre en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Carnegie Middle East Center — Killing the Survivors carnegie-mec.org ↗
- Wikipedia
- Carnegie Middle East Center
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.