Dozens of hostages 'killed' in Algeria

Thirty-five hostages and 15 kidnappers reported killed, a day after Western and Algerian gas field workers are seized.

Thirty-five hostages and 15 kidnappers have been killed in southern Algeria, according to the group holding the hostages. Thursday's reported deaths came a day after dozens of foreigners and Algerians were taken hostage by heavily armed fighters near the In Amenas gas field. The fighters said they seized the hostages in retaliation for Algeria letting France use its airspace to launch operations against rebels in northen Mali. The spokesman for the Masked Brigade, which had claimed responsibility for the abductions on Wednesday, told a Mauritanian news agency that the deaths were a result of an Algerian government helicopter attack on a convoy holding kidnappers and hostages. The spokesman said that Abou el-Baraa, the leader of the kidnappers, was also killed in the helicopter attack. A resident of the locality where the incident took place told Reuters news agency that the Algerian military opened fire on vehicles of hostage takers and that many people were killed. The hostage drama began with the ambush of a bus carrying employees from the gas plant to the nearby airport, according to the Algerian government, which said three vehicles of heavily armed men were involved. Two people were killed on Wednesday. Norwegians, Americans, Japanese and French citizens were among the hostages.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies