"We await the terrorist attempts to enter Algeria from any region, so we have raised the alert level in all border regions. Since last Friday, we have had unconfirmed reports about terrorists possibly entering the country to carry out attacks in the south of the country, particularly this is related to oil objects," the official said.
Earlier in the day, several gunmen took scores of people hostage in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali's capital. According to French media, at least three people have been killed by the terrorists.
Mali has been in turmoil since 2012, when violent extremist tribes took control over large areas in northern Mali, and various Islamist groups, including the Boko Haram terrorist group, initiated operations in the country.
