Three members of the Algeria's Municipal Guard have been killed in an armed attack in the coastal province of Tipaza Province, 70km west of Algiers. Local security sources said the attack, on the outskirts of the town of Burkakh, had been carried out by militants belonging to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Republic (AQIM). The incident occurred as the guards finished work for the day. The Algerian army has begun an extensive search operation to track down those responsible for the killings.