French Authorities Hold 5 Suspected of al-Qaida Ties

French authorities are holding five men on suspicion of links to the al-Qaida affiliated terrorist group behind the deadly bombings in Algeria last week.

Officials say the five are part of a group of eight detained in Paris and the northwestern region of Rouen Tuesday. Three of the group were released after questioning.

Authorities say the five are suspected of providing computers and telecommunications help to al-Qaida's North African wing, which claimed responsibility for the car bomb attacks. The officials said there was no indication of any direct links between those detained and the attacks and no sign that the five were planning any attacks in France.

The bombings outside United Nations offices and a government building in Algiers killed at least 37 people, including 17 U.N. employees.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.