Algerian capital locked down for Arab summit

Police officers swarmed over Algiers, trucks were banned from the city and students were given an early holiday today as part of tight security in place for a summit of Arab leaders.

Uniformed officers were stationed every 300-400 yards along a highway leading from the Algerian capital to the Arab League summit venue in the city’s outskirts.

Police officers also were stationed on rooftops, scouring the city with binoculars, while others patrolled parks and intersections. In all, about 15,000 officers were being deployed for the security effort, the Interior Ministry has said.