Two bomb blasts, one of which was targeted at the prime minister's headquarters, shook Algiers on Wednesday leaving 23 people dead and 162 others injured, according to official provisional figures.

The first attack took place on Wednesday morning close to the prime minister's headquarters. A strong explosion was heard and a wave of smoke could be seen coming from the palace, according to a Xinhua News Agency correspondent.

Ambulances and police vehicles were immediately dispatched to the scene as thousands of shocked Algerians flocked to the streets.

Fragments of glasses could be seen everywhere around the area while roads leading to the palace were shut down by the police.

Within minutes of the first attack, another bomb went off close to an Algiers police station.

Shortly after these attacks, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem strongly condemned the attacks as "criminal and cowardly. "

"These are criminal acts which can be described as purely cowardly and treasonable coming at such a time when the Algerian people are calling for national reconciliation," the prime minister said.

The Al-Qaida group in North Africa claimed responsibility for launching bomb attacks in Algerian capital on Wednesday in a statement posted on the internet.

The group also released photos of three suicide bombers who it said carried out the car bomb attacks in Algiers on the website often used by extremist Islamic groups in the past.

Earlier, the Al-Jazeera television station said a people identifying himself as a member of Al-Qaida's branch in North Africa, called the channel and claimed responsibility for Wednesday's blasts in Algiers.

In response to the attacks, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa condemned the "terrorist blasts" and condoled with the families of those killed and injured in the explosions in Algeria, Egypt's MENA news agency reported.

Source: Xinhua