Death of an Algerian Soldier and Injuries from Explosion Near Moroccan Border

An Algerian border guard was killed and two others were injured on Wednesday evening in an explosion of an improvised explosive device near the border with Morocco, according to the Ministry of Defense on Thursday. The Algerian Ministry of Defense stated that the explosive device detonated in the western region of the country while a border patrol was conducting a reconnaissance mission as part of a military operation "to secure the borders and combat organized crime." The source noted that the explosion occurred on Wednesday evening in Dqeln in Tlemcen Province, near the Algerian-Moroccan border. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences on Twitter to the family of the "martyr of national duty who, along with his brave comrades, faced a cowardly terrorist attack on our western borders." Relations between Algeria and its western neighbor have deteriorated in recent months, primarily due to the Western Sahara issue. Algeria decided on August 24 to sever diplomatic relations with Rabat, and then, a month later, announced the closure of Algerian airspace to all Moroccan civilian and military aircraft.