Algeria to expel Malian Ansar Eddine members

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Algeria will expel 105 Malians for being members of the Ansar Eddine militant group, an official source said, the first such action in the North African country against the group.

“It is a decision of Algiers’ court,” the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

The United Nations this week urged Algeria to stop rounding up and expelling sub-Saharan migrants.

Algeria rejected the criticism, saying it faced a massive influx of illegal migrants on its southern borders with Mali and Niger.

Militants linked to Malian jihadist Iyad Ag Ghali claimed responsibility for attacks on Malian, United Nations and French troops operating in Mali’s desert north.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and a local branch of Islamic state are the two main militant groups in Algeria.