Twelve United Nations employees and over 45 people were killed early Tuesday in Algiers, Algeria, after two car bombs exploded in the African city.  The bombs blew off the front of the U.N. refugee agency building.  The U.N. employees are likely dead.

Car bombs exploded minutes apart Tuesday in central Algiers, heavily damaging a U.N. building and ripping the facade off the wing of a government office. Officials said 45 people were killed, and that 12 U.N. employees were missing.

Suspicions quickly focused on the North African wing of al-Qaida. The date — the 11th — could point to an Islamic terror link. Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility for attacks on April 11 that hit the prime minister’s office and a police station, killing 33 people.

Algiers is the capital city of Algeria and the largest city in North Africa.  The metropolitan area at last count had over 3.5 million people.