The
Armed Islamic Group (
GIA, from ; , ) was one of the two main
Islamist insurgents groups that fought the Algerian government and army in the
Algerian Civil War. It was created from smaller armed groups following the
1992 military coup and arrest and internment of thousands of officials in the Islamist
Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) party after that party won the first round of
parliamentary elections in December 1991. It was led by a succession of
amirs (commanders) who were killed or arrested one after another.