Al-Qaida claims attacks

A message believed to be from al-Qaida\'s North African wing has claimed responsibility for the bombs that killed about 60 people in Algeria this week.



The statement, which was sent on an audio tape to the Arab satellite network al-Jazeera, could not be independently verified.



According to the statement, the attacks had been carried out in revenge for an ambush in which Islamist militants had died.



The attacks took place on Tuesday and Wednesday east of the capital, Algiers.



The first was a suicide car bombing that targeted civilian candidates waiting to take a recruitment exam at a police college in Issers, killing 48 people.



A day later, two more car bombings struck in quick succession in Bouira , about 62 miles south-east of Algiers.