An Algerian military operation that began on Thursday morning to free a group of Western nationals being held hostage in Algeria has ended, Algeria’s APS news agency reported, citing regional authorities.
The militants claimed that 35 hostages and 15 captors — including their leader Abu al-Baraa, were killed, speaking to Mauritania’s ANI news agency — but this could not be independently confirmed.
Algeria’s official APS news agency reported that 600 Algerian workers had been freed in the operation.
Though there was no official confirmation of the number of hostages killed or injured, “Unfortunately we deplore some deaths and some people wounded. We don’t yet have the numbers,” Information Minister Mohammed Said said.
Several of the hostage-takers had also been killed, he said. “An important number of terrorists have been neutralized during this operation.” Defending the aerial raid, Mr. Said said the army intervened because the hostage-takers wanted to take the captives out of the country.
The attack on the In Amenas gas field, one of Algeria’s biggest and operated by Britain’s BP, Norway’s Statoil and Algerian state company Sonatrach, came after militants affiliated to al-Qaeda took scores of workers hostage early Wednesday.
via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/algerian-hostage-rescue-raid-over/article4317611.ece
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