Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in Algeria on the first day of Pope Leo XIV’s historic visit to the country

The terrorist attack occurred in the town of Blidajust an hour from Algiers, where the Pontiff was.

One of the explosions targeted one of the country’s main police stations. The attack is produced in the city centerfollowed by a second suicide attack near a food industry company in the same province.

The attack occurred on a day of special relevance, since this is the first time that a Pontiff visits Algeriaa country with a large Muslim majority, where Christianity is only a minority religion.

This terrorist attack occurs just two days after the 19th anniversary of the two suicide attacks that shook Algiers.

On April 11, 2007, a group coordinated by Al Qaeda attacked the prime minister’s office and a police station in the residential neighborhood of Bab Ezzouar. The explosions caused the death of 33 people and injured more than 200, leaving significant devastation throughout the country.

A historic journey

The pontiff has requested to enter Africa through Algeria, ancient homeland of Saint Augustine where a Pope had never been before.

Leo XIV was this Monday visiting the Great Mosque of Algiers and the Welcome and Friendship Center of the Augustinian Missionary Sisters of Bab El Oued.

This Tuesday, Leo XIV has traveled to ancient Hippo and there you will walk among the remains of the basilica where Saint Augustine, considered Father and Doctor of the Church, preached, as well as visit the ruins of the ancient Roman forum.

The trip undertaken by Leo XIV will not be limited only to Algeria, but will also move to other countries in the region. He will go to Equatorial Guinea, which has not received a visit from a Pope for 44 years.

On his way, he will also visit Cameroon, where he will be in a war zone, and will travel to Angola, where he will visit a church desecrated by an extremist evangelical sect.

This scheduled visit by Leo XIV has included more countries than the one made by Benedict XVI in 2009 to the African continent, when He only visited Cameroon and Angolatwo African countries with a Christian majority.

His journey through Africa occurs in the midst of the tension generated between the Vatican and the White Houseas a result of the Pontiff’s statements, rejecting the war in Iran launched by Donald Trump and the accusations of the American president towards the figure of Leo XIV.