Algeria - Sofiane Siyoucef
An Algerian security source has told Arabstoday that militants believed to be part of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have kidnapped a 60-year-old man in the village of Moqla, Tizi Ouzou province (100km east of Algiers). The source revealed that the man, who owns a construction company, was abducted on Tuesday night at about 5pm local time. The militant reportedly stopped the man while he was driving home and took him to an unknown location. Shortly after, security forces began a search to trace the kidnappers . Tizi Ouzou has seen 66 reported kidnappings since 2006, though this is the first of 2012.