A Western diplomat said the security forces' "learning curve in combating Islamist guerrillas" had grown, too.

When the government then banned the FIS and arrested thousands of its members, Islamist guerrillas rapidly emerged and began an armed campaign against the government and its supporters which became the Algerian Civil War.

After the FIS was banned and thousands of its members arrested, Islamist guerrillas rapidly emerged and began an armed campaign against the government and its supporters.

In the 1980's, for example, the United States worked closely with Pakistan to support Pakistan-based Islamist guerrillas who were fighting the Russians in Afghanistan.

This faction is generally considered eradicationist (favouring no dialogue with Islamist guerrillas in the context of the Algerian Civil War.)

India faces a host of armed insurgencies: from Maoists in its forests, ethnic guerrillas in the northeast, Sikh separatists, and Islamist guerrillas fighting for Kashmir.

Bouteflika subsequently organized a referendum on his policies to restore peace and security to Algeria (involving amnesties for Islamist guerrillas) and to test his support among his countrymen after the contested election.

He was in charge of secret operations against Islamist guerrillas and counter-espionage - a post which he occupied until his death, untouched by changes of government or reshuffles.

The attack was blamed on Islamist guerrillas.

During the Algerian Civil War, which began in 1992 as Islamist guerrillas attacked the military government which had annulled an Islamist electoral victory, thousands of people were forcibly disappeared.