June 3 (Reuters) - The death toll from political violence in Algeria dropped to 15 in May from 29 in April and 21 in March, to reach the lowest level this year, according to a Reuters count based on newspaper reports.

Eight members of government forces, five rebels and two civilians were killed in the north African country last month.

Following are some of the main developments:

* On May 11, rebels linked to al Qaeda's north African wing killed six soldiers when they ambushed their convoy in Medea province, 90 km (50 miles) southwest of the capital Algiers.

It was the deadliest ambush on the army since Feb. 8, when eight paramilitary gendarmes were shot dead in El Oued province, 500 km (300 miles) southeast of Algiers.

* On May 19, in a rare incident, security forces fought for five hours with a rebel in broad daylight in Tizi Ouzou, the main town of the Kabylie region, 100 km (60 miles) east of Algiers. He shot at police from a five-storey building where he had holed up.

* On May 29, rebels shot dead a man and his son near their bar in Tizi Ouzou province after they rejected a demand by the militants for five million dinars ($78,000). Islamist guerrilla groups are heavily involved in racketeering, newspapers say.

* On May 5, government forces killed a senior Islamist guerrilla, destroyed several hideouts and seized clothes and food during an offensive in a mountainous area in Bejaia, 250 km (160 miles) east of Algiers.

* On May 23, Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said the authorities were planning to spend four billion euros on fighting "terrorism and organised crime." The plan mainly includes expenditure on equipment. He gave no timetable.

* Eight rebels received life jail terms while 34 others were sentenced to death in absentia in separate trials. Courts have handed guerrillas life jail terms and death sentences at several trial in recent years but no execution has taken place since 1993. (Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed; Editing by William Maclean and Giles Elgood)

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