At least 11 soldiers have been killed in an attack by extremist militant gunmen west of Algeria’s capital.

At least 11 soldiers have been killed in an attack by extremist militant gunmen west of Algeria's capital.

The ambush took place on Thursday night at the start of celebrations marking the end of Ramadan.

Armed groups were active in the region, Ain Defla, in the 1990s.

Correspondents say although Algeria is now much more stable, gunmen with links to al-Qaeda and ISIL operate in parts of the country, mostly in remote mountain areas.

Thursday night's attack took place in a forest in Ain Defla, 240km (150 miles) from Algiers, a police commander told Associated Press - speaking on condition of anonymity as an official statement has not yet been released.

The attack was also reported by a security source and the local media, although they gave few other details.