Algerian police continue protests despite PM pledges

Algerian police officers in the capital Algiers staged a sit-in on Thursday in solidarity with fellow officers who were protesting their working conditions in the southern city of Ghardaia.

Police officers in Ghardaia took to the streets on Monday and Tuesday to demand more protection after coming under attack during a riot in the town.

Ten policemen were injured, including three seriously, in riots that targeted government buildings and private property, a hospital source told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

Ghardaia has been the scene of sectarian violence between Arabs and Berber residents.

The 1,000 police officers in Algiers, however, were demanding better pay and more political support.

They are also expressing anger at the country's leadership as they camped out near the president's headquarters, which is being protected by soldiers while a military helicopter circled overhead.

Some officers tried - successfully - to storm the into the president's office on Wednesday, questioning his fitness to run the country.

The poor state of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's health has called into question who is running the country.

The country's prime minister said on Wednesday that the government has reached a deal to end the police protest.

"The government will meet next Sunday to address their demands, particularly the finance related ones," Prime Minister Adelmalek Sellal told state television after meeting with a delegation of police. "We have already resolved 11 demands."

Police officers also took to the streets in the cities of Khenchela and Oran, a source told Reuters.