Nov 15, 2009
ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerian coast guards recovered the corpses of two migrants while a surveillance aircraft and a helicopter search for eleven others who were still missing, official news agency APS reported on Sunday.

The 13 were among a group of 21 migrants trying to reach Europe when their two boats capsized on Saturday morning off the of the western province of Chlef, APS said, citing a statement by the country's navy.

The coast guards rescued one migrant while seven others managed to swim shore.

In a similar incident, twenty other migrants aged between 17 and 29 years were rescued late on Saturday near the eastern city of Annaba.

Official figures show that 1,500 Algerians were arrested in 2007 for trying to illegally leave the north African country for Europe.