Omar Khderi — Among the First Martyrs of the Algerian Revolution
Omar Khderi, also known as Omar El Ghoul, was born in Blida on 23 March 1928. He led operations against colonial forces from the first days of the revolution and died in combat on 24 November 1954, aged 26 — among the earliest martyrs of Algeria's liberation struggle.
15 November 2025
Omar Khderi, also known as Omar El Ghoul, was born on 23 March 1928 in Blida to parents Hamida and Houria Kada. A determined young man with dreams of becoming a boxing champion, he instead became one of the earliest martyrs of Algeria's War of Independence.
Revolutionary Beginnings
Omar joined the first civilian battalion in Blida under the command of Martyr Si Ben Youssef Sidi Yekhlef Mustafa. From the very first day of the revolution, he was active.
On 1 November 1954 — the historic date of the revolution's launch — he led a mission targeting Police Chief Raymond, in direct retaliation for Raymond's killing of Martyr Mohamed Ben Merah in 1945.
Final Mission
On 29 December 1954, Omar Khderi and two companions attempted to assassinate police inspector Ben Qlil Ahmed, shooting him three times in the abdomen. During their withdrawal through the Bab El Khouikha neighborhood, they were surrounded by CRS forces.
Omar Khderi died on 24 November 1954 at age 26, standing armed during the ambush. He is counted among the very first martyrs of Algeria's Liberation Revolution.
Legacy
After independence, Blida's former Lafegiri Boys School was renamed Martyr Omar Khderi School in his honor — a tribute to a young man who aspired to be a boxer but chose instead to fight for his country's freedom.