Authorities say ethnic clashes have left at least 22 people dead around Algeria's southern oasis city of Ghardaia, prompting the president to call an urgent security meeting.
The official APS news agency said President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is meeting with the prime minister, defense officials, army chief of staff and others to discuss the gravity of the latest confrontations more than 600 kilometers (375 miles) south of Algiers. APS cited sources close to the president's office.
The prefecture put the number of dead in clashes between Arabs and Berbers around Ghardaia at 22.
