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Foreigners held hostage by Islamist militants in Algeria Foreigners held hostage by militants in Algeria
(about 3 hours later)
Two foreigners, one of them British, have been killed and more taken hostage in an attack by Islamist militants on a gas facility in Algeria, reports say. Islamist militants have attacked and occupied a gas facility in Algeria, killing a Briton and an Algerian and taking foreign workers hostage.
At least 20 foreigners - including US, French, British, Norwegian and Japanese citizens - are being held at the facility near In Amenas. Algerian Interior Minister Daho Ould Kabila said troops had surrounded the living quarters at In Amenas, where some 20 people were being held.
AFP quoted a facility worker as saying the group had demanded the release of 100 Islamists held in Algeria. Norwegian, French, British, US and Japanese citizens are among them.
State-run APS news agency said Algerian workers at the site had been released. Mr Ould Kabila said the militants wanted to leave Algeria with the hostages, which he would not allow.
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 about 1,300km (800 miles) south-east of the capital, Algiers, and about 60km west of the Libyan border. Earlier, the AFP news agency quoted one worker as saying the militants had demanded the release of 100 Islamist prisoners. Another report said they wanted France to end its military operation in Mali.
'Sensitive situation' Dozens of Algerian workers were meanwhile said to have been released.
The Algerian interior ministry said a heavily-armed "terrorist group" using three vehicles had attacked the bus carrying workers from the In Amenas gas field at about 05:00 (04:00 GMT). 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.
The attack was initially repelled before the gunmen headed to the complex's living quarters and took a number of hostages - with Algerian officials saying 20 people were being held, although an al-Qaeda linked group claimed the group had taken 41 hostages. It is situated about 1,300km (800 miles) south-east of the capital, Algiers, and about 60km (37 miles) west of the Libyan border.
Two foreigners were killed in the attack, one of them a British national, Algeria's official news agency APS reported. A local source earlier told the Reuters news agency a Frenchman had died. 'Very dangerous situation'
The UK government confirmed that "several British nationals" had been involved in a "terrorist incident". At a news conference on Wednesday evening, Mr Kabila said a heavily armed "terrorist group" using three vehicles had attacked a bus carrying workers from In Amenas at about 05:00 (04:00 GMT).
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference that 13 Norwegian employees of Statoil were believed held hostage at the gas facility. The attackers was repelled by police who had been escorting the bus, but a Briton and an Algerian national had been killed, he said. Two other British nationals, a Norwegian, two police officers and a security guard were also hurt in the firefight, he added.
American, Irish and Japanese hostages were also taken. Afterwards, the militants drove to the gas facility's living quarters and took a number of Algerian and foreign workers hostage. They were being held in one wing of the living quarters, which the security services and army had now surrounded, Mr Kabila said.
BP said gunmen had occupied the In Amenas operations site, but Algerian forces have surrounded the area. "Since then, they've been facing off. The security forces are consolidating their position around the base," he added. "It seems [the militants] want to leave the region, to leave the country with the hostages. This is completely unacceptable for the Algerian authorities."
The French catering company CIS told the BBC that 150 of its Algerian employees were still being held at the site. The minister said nearby border crossings had been closed as a precaution and that the foreign ministry was in contact with diplomats from the hostages' countries.
However, a spokesman said they were "allowed to move around... unlike the foreign hostages, who are trapped in a corner and cannot move". UK Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that the hostages included "a number of British nationals", adding: "This is therefore a very dangerous situation."
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said 13 Norwegian employees of Statoil were believed held hostage at the gas facility.
US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that Americans were among those seized, while Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said one of its nationals was a hostage.
Japanese news agencies, citing unnamed government officials, said there were three Japanese hostages.
WarningWarning
A man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants told BBC Arabic that al-Qaeda had carried out the attack. Mr Kabila said the militants were from Algeria and were operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) before late last year, when he set up his own armed group after apparently falling out with other leaders.
Earlier, a man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants told BBC Arabic that al-Qaeda had carried out the attack.
He claimed that they had allowed Algerian workers to leave the gas facility and were only holding foreign nationals.He claimed that they had allowed Algerian workers to leave the gas facility and were only holding foreign nationals.
A list of demands had been sent to the Algerian authorities, and the hostages would be killed if troops attempted to rescue them, the spokesman added. A list of demands had been sent to Algerian authorities, and the hostages would be killed if troops attempted to rescue them, the spokesman added.
The attack has been linked to Algeria's support of France's operation against al-Qaida-linked rebels in Mali.
''Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous," he warned.''Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous," he warned.
Earlier, a group known as the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade claimed responsibility. Spokesmen for two groups believed to be led by Belmokhtar - the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in Blood Battalion - said they were behind the incident.
The Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade is believed to be led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar - also known as Abu al-Abbas - who was a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) before late last year, when he set up his own armed group after apparently falling out with other leaders. The latter told Mauritania's ANI news agency that it had taken more than 40 hostages, including seven Americans, two French citizens and two British citizens.
His new group is also known as the Signed-in Blood Battalion, whose spokesman told ANI that it had taken more than 40 hostages, including seven Americans, two French citizens and two British citizens.
"We are holding the Algerian and French governments, and the hostages' countries, entirely responsible for their slowness in satisfying our demands, foremost of which is an immediate halt to the aggression against our brothers in Mali," added the spokesman."We are holding the Algerian and French governments, and the hostages' countries, entirely responsible for their slowness in satisfying our demands, foremost of which is an immediate halt to the aggression against our brothers in Mali," added the spokesman.
Militant groups have vowed to avenge France's military intervention in Mali, where its forces have been battling Islamists linked to AQIM for the past week. One of the workers told AFP news agency by telephone that the militants were demanding the release of 100 Islamists detained in Algeria.
Algeria has been allowing French aircraft to use its air space to launch attacks. Another worker told France's Le Figaro newspaper that the captors had mined the facility and demanded food, water and vehicles.
Militant groups have vowed to avenge France's military intervention in Mali, where its forces have been battling Islamists linked to AQIM for the past week. Algeria has been allowing French aircraft to use its air space.
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