As Pope Leo XIV Pays was starting Monday a visit to Algeria, the first ever by a Pope, two individuals, wearing explosive belts, tried to target separate locations in Blida, located about fifty kilometers south of Algiers.
Initial reports indicated that the two suicide bombers attempted to carry out separate attacks in the heart of the city. One targeted the central police station, while the other headed toward a food processing facility.
The fatal attack against the security facility reportedly killed two police officers, while the two other attackers were fired at by the police before they could reach their target. They then detonated their explosives, according to press reports.
The casualties and death toll have not yet been disclosed by Algerian official media, while images circulating on social media show the dismembered bodies of the suicide bombers.
The attempted attacks came as Pope Leo XIV was on a visit to Algeria, which is striving to promote the image of a country committed to religious tolerance and coexistence.
The Pope’s 11-day tour that will also lead him to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea tour is meant to promote Christian-Muslim coexistence.
