A Swiss tourist was murdered outside a cafe in Algeria’s Djanet in early October by a man who screamed “Allahu Akbar” and “long live Palestine,” according to international media reports on Thursday.
The attacker slit the woman’s throat, according to RTS, but she did not die instantly.
The Swiss woman did not survive the wounds she sustained during the attack, which happened in front of her three children, according to the Daily Mail. She reportedly died on October 11.
The attacker reportedly fled the scene of the attack and Algerian authorities deployed a significant manhunt to find him, using both helicopters and wanted posters to alert local residents.
The attacker, a man reportedly from the northern part of the country, was successfully apprehended after several days of searching. A second man was also reportedly arrested, according to RTS.
After murdering the woman, the Algerian man reportedly attempted to attack another group of tourists, but his attempts were thwarted. The tourists were later instructed to return to their hotel rooms, according to RTS.
Swiss response to the incident
Switzerland's Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday told the AP that it had been in contact with Algerian authorities about the “violent death” of an unnamed Swiss citizen on Oct. 11.
The three children, along with the friend accompanying the family, have since returned to Switzerland.
RTS criticized authorities for their silence on the attack, noting that it was the French newspaper Libération that broke the story.