Algeria finds explosive vests and homemade bombs

Algerian soldiers have discovered a cache of explosive vests and ammunition in the east of the country near where jihadists beheaded a French hostage in September.

"In the framework of the anti-terrorist fight and a search operation near Iboudrarene (150 kilometres east of Algiers), the army... on Friday uncovered and destroyed on site five explosive vests, six homemade bombs" and ammunition, the defence ministry said on Saturday.

Algerian troops on Thursday found the body of French tourist Herve Gourdel, who was beheaded by jihadists demanding that France halt air strikes in Iraq against the Islamic State (IS) group.

The body was found buried without its head in Akbil, where Gourdel was abducted by the Jund al-Khilafa (Soldiers of the Caliphate) group, security sources said.

The defence ministry said on Saturday that tests carried out by police forensic experts had confirmed his identity and DNA tests would also be carried out.

The army mobilised 3000 troops to find the 55-year-old mountain guide's body and launched a new search operation on Wednesday.

Excavations were carried out in Akbil and the neighbouring town of Abu Youssef following a tip-off by an Islamist detainee, a security source told AFP.

The search was headed by an elite army unit and aided by sniffer dogs.

The military had to bring in munitions experts to sweep the area for booby-traps, the source said.

Gourdel was abducted by Jund al-Khilafa on September 21, while hiking in a national park.

He was beheaded days later in a video posted online after France rejected the jihadists' demand to halt air strikes against IS.

Jund al-Khilafa had earlier pledged allegiance to the jihadist group.

In December, the army said it had killed the leader of the militants who beheaded Gourdel.