– BOUALEM BENSAID & SMAIN BELKACEM

 

* BOUALEM BENSAID

Boualem Bensaid was born in Algeria in 1967. Boualem Bensaid worked as a sports teacher before joining underground activity with the Islamic Salvation Front – FIS in Algeria in 1990. When the civil war breached out in Algeria in 1992 Boualem Bensaid joined GIA. He fled Algeria to France in 1994. 

 Boualem Bensaid masterminded the subway St. Michel station bombing in Paris, on 07/25/1995, and was a key coordinator of the 1995-bombings that followed. Boualem Bensaid was arrested already on 03/11/1995 following the killing of Khaled Kelkal, on 09/29/1995.   

In 09/1999 Boualem Bensaid was convicted with other 20 members of the “Roubaix” cell. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail. Boualem Bensaid is also serving 30 years for a failed attack on a high-speed train near Lyon, on 08/26/1995.  

On 10/30/2002 Boualem Bensaid was sentenced to life imprisonment, for placing, on 10/06/1995, a gas bottle bomb in station Maison Blanche of the Paris metro, which wounding 13. 

* SMAIN AIT ALI BELKACEM

 

Smain Ait Ali Belkacem was born in Algeria in 1969.  He fled from Algeria to France when the Algerian regime began to crack down on GIA, probably somewhere before 1994. 

 

Smain Ait Ali Belkacem was the GIA bomb expert of the group that committed the 1995 string bombings in France and was financed by Rashid Ramda.  

In 09/1999 Smain Ait Ali Belkacem was convicted with other 20 members of the Roubaix Gang. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail.   

On 10/30/2002 Smain Ait Ali Belkacem was sentenced to life imprisonment, along with Boualem Bensaid, for planting, on 10/17/1995, a gas bottle bomb in RER Line C, Paris, wounding 29 people.  According to the Frenche media Smain Ait Ali Belkacem and another prisoner tried to flee the Reaux prison, on 03/10/2013, by creating a diversion during the daily walk and attempting to jump over one of the jail’s gates.

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