ELEVEN people, including seven members of the Algerian security forces, were killed Sunday by Islamic extremists near Batna, some 430km southeast of the capital Algiers, the security services announced. The security personnel were killed in a firefight after going to the scene of a roadside murder of four civilians, witnesses said. The security forces gave no further details, but witnesses said an armed gang numbering around 15 set up a roadblock at about 6am on the road linking Batna with Merouana, about 30km to the east. They stopped and ransacked several vehicles before killing their first victims, the four occupants of a van transporting sheep. The security personnel were shot and killed by bombs set along the road. The attacks have been blamed on the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which usually operates in the mountainous region. – AFP