The Algerian operation at a gas facility in the desert where
Islamist militants have been holding foreign hostages has not ended,
officials say.
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18 January 2013
Last updated at 12:03 GMT
The remote desert gas facility is not far from the Libyan border
Islamist militants are believed to be still holding a number of hostages at a gas facility in the Algerian desert.
At least four foreign workers and several militants died on Thursday when troops stormed the living quarters.
The militants had claimed to be holding 41 foreigners. At least four were freed but the fate of many others is unknown.
Meanwhile, BP said
hundreds of workers from international oil companies had been evacuated
from Algeria on Thursday and that many more would follow.
Continue reading the main story
Analysis
Gordon Corera
Security correspondent, BBC News
This was one of the most complex hostage situations seen in
many years - one in which hopes for a simple, bloodless resolution
always looked optimistic. The combination of a remote site in the
desert, heavily armed militants, explosives at a gas facility and a
kaleidoscope of nations with their citizens held hostage was always a
volatile cocktail. However, there will still be questions about
Algeria's decisions, particularly its reported reluctance to accept any
advice or assistance.
The countries whose nationals were being held may all have
called for caution, but the Algerians were always going to be the key
decision makers. It was their territory and many of their citizens were
held hostage. They have a record of taking a tough, no-holds-barred
approach. And given this was the first attack on a gas facility which
provides the country's economic lifeblood they may have wanted to send a
tough message to those considering repeating this.
Algeria has yet to give precise casualty figures from the rescue attempt.
The state-run APS news agency cited local officials as saying
two Britons and two Filipinos were killed. Two others, a Briton and an
Algerian, died on Wednesday when the militants ambushed a bus that was
taking foreign workers at the facility to the local airport.
A spokesman for the militants told the Mauritanian ANI news
agency that 35 hostages and 15 militants had been killed in Thursday's
operation. One Algerian official said the figures were "exaggerated".
The In Amenas gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil
company, Sonatrach, along with the British oil company BP and Norway's
Statoil.
It is situated at Tigantourine, about 40km (25 miles)
south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300km (800 miles) south-east
of Algiers.
'Surrounded'
On Friday morning, the UK Foreign Office and Norwegian Foreign
Minister Espen Barth Eide said they believed the incident was ongoing.
"Parts of the plant are under Algerian authorities' control,
and other parts are not. This information is changing by the hour," Mr
Eide told the BBC.
David Cameron tells MPs that the number of British citizens at risk has been “significantly reduced”
APS cited local officials as saying the military operation at
the gas facility's living quarters, where most of the hostages were
held, had ended on Thursday night.
"Hostages are still being held at the Tigantourine gas treatment plant, which is surrounded by special forces," APS added.
Later, UK Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament
that he had been told by his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmalek Sellal,
that troops were "still pursuing terrorists and possibly some of the
hostages".
"They are now looking at all possible routes to resolve this
crisis," he added, describing the situation as "fluid and dangerous".
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
The army bombed four out of five of the trucks and four of them were destroyed”
Brother of Stephen McFaul
Mr Cameron also revealed that on
Thursday night, the number of British citizens at risk had been fewer
than 30, but that it had now been "quite significantly reduced".
Japanese officials were meanwhile cited as saying by the
Kyodo news agency that at least 14 Japanese nationals were still
missing. At least three managed to escape.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, expressed
"deep regret" at the actions of the Algerian security forces and its
foreign ministry summoned the Algerian ambassador.
Despite requests for communication and pleas to consider the
hostages' safety, the UK, Japan and US said they had not been told in
advance about the military assault.
Mr Cameron said the Algerian prime minister had told him that
commanders had "judged there to be an immediate threat to the lives of
the hostages and had felt obliged to respond".
Algerian Communications Minister Mohand Said Oubelaid said: "Those who think we will negotiate with terrorists are delusional."
Norway said eight of its nationals were currently unaccounted
for. One is being treated at a hospital in In Amenas, while four
escaped unharmed.
Ireland's Deputy PM described hostage Stephen McFaul's escape as a ''truly horrific'' experience
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said two French workers were safe. It was unclear if another two were involved, he added.
The Irish government confirmed that one of its citizens was
free. Five Americans had survived and left the country, US officials
told ABC News.
APS said about 600 local workers had been freed in the raid,
but many were reportedly allowed to leave on Wednesday by the militants.
A worker from CIS Catering, which employs about 150 Algerians
at the facility, told French media he had hidden under the bed in his
room for 40 hours before being rescued.
"I put boards everywhere. I had food, water, and I did not know how long I would stay there."
Continue reading the main story
Foreign citizens involved
- Fourteen Japanese missing
- Eight Norwegians missing
- Significantly fewer than 30 Britons missing; two Britons (from Scotland) believed to be safe
- Unknown number of Americans
- Possibly citizens of Romania, Thailand, the Philippines, Colombia, South Korea and Austria
- Two French citizens safe
- One Irish citizen from Northern Ireland safe
- One Kenyan safe
"When the soldiers came to get
me, I did not even know it was over. They were with colleagues,
otherwise I would never have opened the door," he added.
A statement purporting to come from the kidnappers says the
raid was carried out in retaliation for the French intervention against
Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), in
neighbouring Mali.
But BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says the
kidnapping was a complex operation which is unlikely to have been
planned and carried out since the surprising French intervention in Mali
last Friday.
Mr Oubelaid said the militants were intent on "destabilising
Algeria, embroiling it in the Mali conflict and damaging its natural gas
infrastructure."
Algerian officials said they were operating under orders from
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who was a senior AQIM commander until late last
year.
On Friday morning, a spokesman for al-Mulathameen (The
Brigade of the Masked Ones) told ANI that it would carry out further
operations. He warned Algerians to "stay away from the installations of
foreign companies as we will strike where it is least expected".
