ALGIERS, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A terrorist has surrendered to the Algerian military authorities in the southern province of Tamanrasset, while two terror-linked suspects were arrested in the eastern province of Constantine, Defense Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The terrorist surrendered on Saturday and he is identified as Bentaleb Ferrah, alias al-Shaanbi, who probably joined terrorist groups in 2011, the statement said, adding that he was in possession of a Kalashnikov-type machine gun.

Algeria has opened safe routes along its southern border to encourage Algerian militants who joined terrorist fiefs in the Sahel to lay down arms in exchange of fair trials.

The statement announced that army troops also discovered on Saturday during a search operation in Tamanrasset a hideout containing weapons and ammunition, including heavy machine guns, mortar shells and grenades.

The North African nation has deployed tens of thousands of troops on the southern and eastern borderline, in a bid to thwart the intrusion of terrorists and arms, amid instability in neighboring Mali and Libya.

Elsewhere, counterterrorism troops in Constantine, 450 km east of Algiers, arrested on Saturday two individuals suspected of providing support for terrorist groups, the ministry added in the statement. Enditem

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