Details emerged in Algeria of further grisly massacres of civilians, mostly children and women, on Thursday as the country carried out a further stage in its electoral process. As expected, most of the representatives chosen by local councils to sit in the new upper house were followers of President Liamine Zeroual. The Interior Minister, Mr Mustapha Benmansour, announced on state television that the ruling National Democratic Rally won 80 of the 96 contested seats.
Formation of an upper house is the final step in the implementation of a new constitution which the government hopes will end Algeria's instability and civil strife.
But the electoral process was overshadowed by reports of the latest round of massacres in nearly six years of political violence in the country.
Fifteen children, a six-month-old baby, an 88-year-old man and five women were among 28 villagers killed by having their throats slashed and then their bodies hacked to pieces in a south-western Algerian village, Algerian newspapers said.
The attackers stormed Shari hamlet near Tiaret, 230 km south-west of Algiers, on Monday night.
Fifty-three villagers, mostly women and children, perished in a similar massacre the same night at the neighbouring Sidi el Antar hamlet, said Liberte newspaper. A further 11 people were killed in Algiers.