 Islamic rebels wounded seven soldiers in bomb attacks in eastern Algeria and lost one fighter in an army offensive, newspapers said on Monday, suggesting rising violence ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. The daily Liberte, citing unnamed sources, said the soldiers were wounded by home-made bombs on Saturday when they were combing through forests suspected of being rebel hideouts some 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital Algiers. An Islamic militant was killed on Sunday in a separate military operation in the mountains near the city of Chlef west of Algiers, newspaper El Watan reported, citing security sources. |