Soldiers killed two armed Islamists during an ambush Tuesday southwest of Algeria's capital, the government said, as media reported that four security personnel were slain in the east.

"An army detachment killed two terrorists today at 3:00 pm, following an ambush carried out near the locality of Amrouna, south of Ain Defla," said the defence ministry.

A Kalashnikov assault rifle was seized during the operation along with a Simonov semi-automatic rifle and ammunition, it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the French-language El-Watan website reported that four communal guards were found dead in their burned-out vehicle at Batna, in the east of the North African country.

Islamist-linked violence rocked Algeria in the 1990s but has declined considerably in recent years.

The army has now killed 33 armed Islamists since the start of the year.