Algeria accused Morocco on Tuesday of "targeted killings" of three people after media reports highlighted the deadly attack by the kingdom on the periphery of disputed Western Sahara.

Media linked to the Polisario independence movement reported a Moroccan airstrike early Sunday against trucks close to the border between the desert territory and Mauritania, killing three people of unknown nationalities.

However, the alleged killings could not be independently verified and neither Morocco nor Mauritania have commented.

"Algeria vigorously condemns the Kingdom of Morocco's targeted killings, with sophisticated weaponry, outside of its internationally recognized borders," Algeria's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It said those killed were "innocent civilians from three countries in the region," without giving further details.

The ministry accused its neighbor of "repetitive acts of state terrorism" that could have "serious implications" for regional security. Algeria last November accused arch-rival Morocco of killing three Algerians on a desert highway in Western Sahara.

The kingdom considers the former Spanish colony an integral part of its own territory, but Algeria backs the Polisario, which has long sought an independence referendum there.

Tensions have escalated since the Polisario declared a 30-year cease-fire null and void in November 2020. The following month, the United States under the administration of then-President Donald Trump recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the territory.

In August last year, Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco over "hostile acts" by its neighbor.