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.

At least 23 people were killed and 162 others wounded in two bomb blasts hitting the Algerian capital Algiers on Wednesday morning, the official APS news agency reported.

"Twelve people were killed in the attack against the Government Palace, while 118 others were wounded," APS said, citing a new death toll released by the civil defence department which said the toll could rise.

In the attack against a police station of Bab Ezzouar east of Algiers, 11 people died and 44 were wounded, it added.

Source: Xinhua