Algerian Ministry of National Defense security services investigated recent forest fires across several provinces. Officials examined the causes of the blaze, which affected multiple regions. On Saturday, Algerian Television broadcast a documentary titled 'Revealing the Plots of Treason and Threads of Collaboration' to present these findings. The program detailed the results of the state investigation into the events.
Arrests and Confessed Sabotage
Security services arrested three Algerian nationals for directly igniting forest fires in the provinces of Constantine and Guelma. Boutamina Abdelkrim and Amrani Abderraouf, two of the detained individuals, provided confessions regarding their direct contact with the terrorist Amir Boukhors, also known as Amir DZ. During these confessions, the detainees stated that Amir Boukhors issued instructions to them, specifically declaring, "يجب أن تحرق البلاد" (The country must be burned).
Separately, security services recovered a video showing Boutamina Abdelkrim participating in a relief convoy for fire victims in Jijel province. Authorities utilized this footage as part of their investigation into the activities of the suspects. The documentary presented these arrests and the associated confessions as evidence of organized sabotage within the affected regions. Officials continue to process the evidence gathered from these individuals as the investigation into the origins of the blazes proceeds across the targeted provinces.
Recruitment Networks and Fronts
The documentary identified Larbi Zitout, Hichem Aboud, and Karim Moulay as individuals recruiting agents within Algeria using promises of money and influence. Security services stated these figures operated from abroad to establish networks intended to destabilize the country.
Yassine Belguerrone utilized his barber shop as a front to recruit agents for Amir Boukhors. Authorities gathered evidence showing the shop functioned as a base for identifying and enlisting individuals to participate in the activities directed by Amir Boukhors. The investigation linked these recruitment efforts to the broader objective of carrying out acts of sabotage within the targeted provinces. Security services continue to examine the connections between these local recruiters and the foreign-based individuals identified in the program.
Escape Routes and Tactics
Ben Yahia Islam set fire to forests in the Didouche Mourad and Djebel El Ouahch areas of Constantine. Security services identified his movements following the incidents as he departed the country. Ben Yahia Islam traveled to Italy to evade capture by authorities. After reaching Italy, he moved to France by means of illegal migration. The documentary linked these movements to the broader investigation into the sabotage operations across the affected provinces. Investigators tracked his flight from the sites of the blazes to his current location abroad. Officials maintain that his departure was part of an effort to escape accountability for the destruction caused in the Constantine region. Security services continue to examine the connections between his actions and the networks operating from outside Algeria.