Algerian government forces mounted an attack Thursday against Islamist militants holding hostages at a remote natural gas complex in eastern Algeria, and there were unconfirmed reports of casualties among the hostages and their captors.
Amid confusion about the situation at the Sahara Desert gas field more than 800 miles southeast of Algiers, a British government source confirmed that Algerian forces were staging an “ongoing military operation” against the hostage takers.
A spokesman for the Islamist militants holding the hostages claimed Thursday that Algerian aircraft attacked the site, killing some of the hostages and captors alike, according to a Mauritanian news agency that says it has been in contact with the militants.
There was no immediate confirmation of the reported casualties from Algerian officials or Western governments.
Earlier, Algerian news media reported that a number of the hostages had escaped. There were conflicting accounts on whether foreigners were among the escapees.
Citing a telephone interview with a spokesman for the militants, the Mauritanian news service Agence Nouakchott d’Information (ANI) reported on its French-language Web site that “some of the Western hostages were killed along with their captors during a bombardment by Algerian aircraft that targeted their place of detention.”
The agency said the militants were trying to move some of the hostages to a safer place on board vehicles belonging to the gas complex when Algerian aircraft bombed the convoy. The news service earlier quoted a militant as saying that Algerian helicopters had started attacking the complex, wounding some of the foreign hostages. ANI quoted the source as saying that “two Japanese have been wounded.”
The Paris-based television station France 24 conducted an interview with a man believed to be a hostage, who said the attackers were “heavily armed and forced several hostages to wear explosives belts.”
The state-run Algerian news agency said Thursday morning that 30 Algerian workers managed to flee their captors at the In Amenas gas complex. The Associated Press quoted an unidentified Algerian security official as saying at least 20 foreigners, including Americans and Europeans, escaped later in the day. Private Algerian news outlets reported that 15 foreigners were able to escape.
After the complex was seized Wednesday, Algerian forces surrounded the facility, and officials rejected demands by the militants to take their remaining hostages out of the country.
Algerian officials were discussing a possible international operation to free the hostages with the U.S. and French governments, AP reported. The Algerian government was additionally reaching out Tuareg tribal leaders, who are thought to have some influence with the Islamist militants who staged the attack on the complex Wednesday.
A man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants told the BBC’s Arabic-language service that the hostages would be killed if a rescue were attempted.
“Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous,” the militant said, according to the BBC.
Amid confusion about the situation at the Sahara Desert gas field more than 800 miles southeast of Algiers, a British government source confirmed that Algerian forces were staging an “ongoing military operation” against the hostage takers.
A spokesman for the Islamist militants holding the hostages claimed Thursday that Algerian aircraft attacked the site, killing some of the hostages and captors alike, according to a Mauritanian news agency that says it has been in contact with the militants.
There was no immediate confirmation of the reported casualties from Algerian officials or Western governments.
Earlier, Algerian news media reported that a number of the hostages had escaped. There were conflicting accounts on whether foreigners were among the escapees.
Citing a telephone interview with a spokesman for the militants, the Mauritanian news service Agence Nouakchott d’Information (ANI) reported on its French-language Web site that “some of the Western hostages were killed along with their captors during a bombardment by Algerian aircraft that targeted their place of detention.”
The agency said the militants were trying to move some of the hostages to a safer place on board vehicles belonging to the gas complex when Algerian aircraft bombed the convoy. The news service earlier quoted a militant as saying that Algerian helicopters had started attacking the complex, wounding some of the foreign hostages. ANI quoted the source as saying that “two Japanese have been wounded.”
The Paris-based television station France 24 conducted an interview with a man believed to be a hostage, who said the attackers were “heavily armed and forced several hostages to wear explosives belts.”
The state-run Algerian news agency said Thursday morning that 30 Algerian workers managed to flee their captors at the In Amenas gas complex. The Associated Press quoted an unidentified Algerian security official as saying at least 20 foreigners, including Americans and Europeans, escaped later in the day. Private Algerian news outlets reported that 15 foreigners were able to escape.
After the complex was seized Wednesday, Algerian forces surrounded the facility, and officials rejected demands by the militants to take their remaining hostages out of the country.
Algerian officials were discussing a possible international operation to free the hostages with the U.S. and French governments, AP reported. The Algerian government was additionally reaching out Tuareg tribal leaders, who are thought to have some influence with the Islamist militants who staged the attack on the complex Wednesday.
A man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants told the BBC’s Arabic-language service that the hostages would be killed if a rescue were attempted.
“Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous,” the militant said, according to the BBC.