Two killed, 400 injured in Algeria riots

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159256.html


At least two people have been killed and more than 400 others have been injured in violent clashes over rising food costs and unemployment in Algeria.

A teenager was shot dead outside the capital Algiers while another man died after being hit in the face by a tear gas canister on Friday.

The interior minister says 300 of the injured were police officers trying to quell the protests.

"More than 300 police and gendarmes have been wounded, while on the other side there are fewer than 100 hurt," Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia said on national radio.

In recent clashes, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse young protesters in the capital Algiers and several other towns.

Clashes have been continuing amid heightened security.

Local media say protesters have looted government buildings, banks and post offices in several eastern cities.

Prices of staple products, including flour and sugar have doubled in the past few months. The government has pledged to curb soaring prices.