JOIN USAlgeria’s prime minister says 37 foreign hostages were killed during the four-day-long standoff at a natural gas plant, and that at least one Canadian was among the Islamist militants who took hundreds hostage.
Abdelmalek Sellal said on Monday that kidnappers came from Egypt, Canada, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Tunisia. Algerian forces stormed the site killing 32 militants and gained control on Saturday.
Algeria's prime minister says 37 foreign hostages were killed during the four-day-long standoff at a natural gas plant, and that at least one Canadian was among the Islamist militants who took hundreds hostage.
Kidnappers from Egypt
Abdelmalek Sellal said kidnappers came from Egypt, Canada, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Tunisia. Sellal said three kidnappers were captured.
Algerian special forces stormed the plant on Saturday to end the four-day siege, moving in to thwart what government officials said was a plot by the Islamic extremists to blow up the complex and kill all their captives with mines sown throughout the site.
The Masked Brigade, the group that claimed to have masterminded the takeover, warned of more such attacks against any country backing France’s military intervention in neighbouring Mali, where the French are trying to stop an advance by Islamic extremists.
Western companies
“We stress to our Muslim brothers the necessity to stay away from all the Western companies and complexes for their own safety, and especially the French ones,” the statement said.
Algeria said after Saturday’s assault by government forces that at least 32 extremists and 23 hostages were killed.