Algeria on Sunday said a total of 496 illegal migrants from different African countries were intercepted by the government troops in the southernmost locality of In Guezzam.

"Army troops arrested, in two separate operations, 496 illegal immigrants from different African nations, in addition to two smugglers in possession of four metal detectors and mobile phones," according to statement of the Defense Ministry.

The illegal migrants and the smugglers were intercepted in the locality of In Guezam, in the province of Tamenrasset, 2315 km southern Algiers.

Due to insecurity prevailing in the sub-African Sahel region, Algeria will face a ceaseless flow of illegal migrants, warned Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal recently, who also said the north-African nation has on its soil some 20,000 illegal immigrants.

In mid January, Algeria said 2536 Nigerien refugees were sent back to their home country since last December, at the request of their governments.