By Jamal Adel.
Tripoli, 14 May 2014:
The Algerian Army is expanding its presence on the border as the trafficking of illegal goods . . .[restrict]and the movement of militant groups between the two countries increases due to Libyan inaction.
The commander of the Libyan border guards in Ghat, Hossney Al-Hadad, told the Libya Herald the Algerian Army had been increasing its border patrols regularly over the past 18 months because of security fears. He added that the black-market along the frontier would continue to thrive and grow as the Libyan army remained under-resourced and overlooked.
“We are in urgent need of vehicles, arms and ammunition to strike back with greater force against these criminals,” Hadad said, adding that although there were some joint Libyan – Algerian patrols that more collaboration was necessary.
At the end of April one member of the Zintan based Qaaqaa Brigade was detained and another injured after the two men unknowingly crossed into Algeria and ran into a border patrol. They were hunting at the time.
Hadad said relative to the Libyan Army the Algerians had managed to reach a very high standard of border protection. [/restrict]
