Car Bombs Shake Algerian Capital

Two car bombs rocked the Algerian capital Tuesday, killing up to 18 people and crumbling homes and shops in the latest violence blamed on the North African country’s Islamic insurgency.

Four hours apart, the explosions thundered across Algiers. Columns of smoke rose high above the city as ambulances and police cars sped toward ruined neighborhoods, sirens blaring.

The blasts came just two days after a car bomb in the city center and an attack on a village outside Algiers killed 78 people. Nationwide, the bloodletting has killed more than 120 people in the past two weeks, with blame falling on Islamic militants trying to topple the government and impose strict Islamic law.