Algerian army commandos assaulted a rebel hideout in the Sahara desert, 1900 kilometers south of the capital. After a brief battle, which left nine rebels dead, 17 European tourists were freed. The tourists were being held by members of  GSPC (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat), one of the Islamic radical groups still fighting the government. Algeria had found the general location of the GSPC camp by intensive patrolling and talking with people who lived and worked in the region (GSPC is seen as a bunch of murderous cutthroats by most of the population.) Then, aircraft using heat sensors flew over the area at night and found the hidden camp, because of the heat given off by people in the cold desert night. Troops surrounded the area and commandos went in to make the attack.