Algerian forces killed eight alleged extremist militants east of Algiers late Tuesday, the north African state’s defense ministry said.

Algerian forces killed eight alleged extremist militants east of Algiers late Tuesday, the north African state's defense ministry said.

An army unit shot dead "eight terrorists" and seized guns and ammunition following an ambush east of Setif, 330km (205 miles) from the capital, according to a statement published on the ministry's website.

It said such operations reflect "a firm determination to overcome terrorist groups and multi-faceted organized crime."

The Algerian authorities apply the word "terrorist" to armed extremists who have operated in the country since the early 1990s.

Despite the adoption in 2005 of a charter for peace and reconciliation that aimed to turn the page on a decade-long civil war that left some 200,000 Algerians dead, armed terrorist groups remain active in the east and south of the country.

They frequently target security forces.

Since the start of March, around 60 armed militants have been killed in military operations, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.