Algerian security forces killed three Islamist militants and arrested five others during a gun battle in western Algeria, announced government officials on 15 December. The men, all of whom were suspected of illegally manufacturing and possessing weapons, were confronted by government security forces in the Moaskar province, some 400 kilometers west of Algiers. The men are believed to belong to Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which has been linked to the Al-Qaeda network. The detainees allegedly supplied weapons to Islamist militants in the area where members of the GSPC operate.