IAAF suspended Algerian track and field athletes from all international competitions on Monday after the world governing body suspended the country's athletics federation.

IAAF executive director Pierre Weiss said the rare step followed the dissolution of the federation by the country's Minister of Sport, Yahia Guidoum, in September.

The governing body had asked Guidoum to reinstate the federation's officers, who had been suspended by the minister for four years. Instead, Guidoum set up a new federation last week.

"The IAAF council agreed that the decision of the minister to put in place an interim committee was totally unacceptable and has taken the rare step to suspend the Algerian Athletics Federation from the IAAF with immediate effect," the IAAF said in a statement on its website.

The decision was taken during the first day of an IAAF Council meeting in Monaco.

Source: Xinhua