Rabat – Videos and photos of a brutal killing in Algeria are going viral.
The videos show the killing of a young man in the city of Arbaa Nath Irathne, in the state of Tizi Ouzou in the Kabylie region.
The perpetrators killed the man for allegedly attempting to start forest fires in the region, provoking a state of shock within the local community and Algerians across the country.
Alegria’s northern region has been ravaged by fires in the past two days, resulting in a death toll of over 70 people, including members of the civil body and military personnel. Authorities said the fires are of “criminal origin.”
According to the videos online, the man was held by a large group of men, who insisted that he was the culprit.
Policemen intervened and rescued the victim, and then took him to a police station to be investigated.
Unfortunately for the young man, a mob consisting of a dozen angry people pulled him from the police car, and they insisted on hurting the victim.
A large crowd of people trampled the victim to death, then proceeded to burn his body while filming it.
Algerians on social media denounced the brutal acts a few hours after the video was circulated, saying the victim was an exemplary member of his community.
A group of people from the city of Miliana in the state of Medea where the victim is originally from, also denounced the act perpetrated against the victim.
The victim was a musician named Jamal Ben Ismail, who was transferred to the affected area on Wednesday to provide assistance to locals, as well as to assist in extinguishing the fire.
Algiers 1 news website reported that “the notables of the Kabylie region and representatives of the villages of Al-Arbaa Nath Irathan will go to Miliana tomorrow to offer their apologies and condolences on behalf of the region to the family of the deceased young man.”
Forest fires sweeping areas in the north of the country have killed at least 70 people, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has halted all national activities unrelated to the fires during the three-day mourning period.
