Qaeda says Algeria militant slain, denies he senior

DUBAI, Apr 27 (Reuters) Al Qaeda's North African wing said today that one of its militants was killed by the Algerian army, but denied he was a group leader, according to a Web posting ''Yes, brother Moussaab was martyred ... (but) he was not the number 2 in the organisation, or number 3, 10 or even 20,'' Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said in a statement posted on the Internet.

''He was one of the soldiers of the organisation and a member of the coordination committee.'' The authenticity of the statement could not be verified. But it was posted on a Web site used by Islamist militant groups.

Algeria's official news agency APS reported yestrday that Algerian army soldiers shot dead Samir Moussaab, whose real name was Samir Saioud, and said he was the group's coordinator and second-in-command.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is led by Abdelmalek Droudkel, whose predecessor Nabil Sahraoui was killed in 2003.

The group, which changed its name from the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat this year, has claimed responsibility for twin bombings in the capital Algiers that killed 33 people on April 11, and for other attacks.

Government forces have stepped up assaults on the group's strongholds east of Algiers, hoping to wipe out what remains of it after an amnesty for Islamist rebels expired.

REUTERS AGL PM2355