The fate of the abductees, taken by militants at a gas plant in eastern Algeria, remains uncertain nearly two days after a botched operation to rescue them.
The hostage takers said Saturday that they are still holding seven foreign national hostages, including three Belgians, two Americans, one Japanese and a British, at In Amenas gas field located in eastern Algeria, near the Libyan border.
However, other conflicting reports indicate that more than 20 foreigners have gone missing or are still being held captive inside the gas installation. The number of the missing hostages, dead or alive, is yet to be confirmed by the officials.
A French national and an American citizen have been confirmed as being among those killed in the rescue operation.
On January 7, Algerian army forces launched a rescue raid to save the hostages seized by militants, who had earlier stormed the gas plant, killing some 30 people, including 12 captives and 18 kidnappers.
An Algerian security official said Saturday “there’s no change since yesterday; the situation remains the same,” as army helicopters fly over the location.
Meanwhile, Algerian special forces have reportedly found 15 burned bodies at the desert near the gas field raided by the attackers, who are linked to the rebel forces fighting in neighboring Mali.
According to reports, efforts are underway to identify the dead bodies.
On January 16, the militants, known as the Signed-in-Blood Battalion, conducted an attack on a gas field partly run by the oil giant British Petroleum (BP) in eastern Algeria, killing a French national and a British citizen and kidnapping several other gas workers.
Sources close to the group’s leader, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, said the gunmen also want to exchange the US citizens for prisoners held in the United States.
The armed assailants said they have carried out the attack to avenge Algeria’s support for the French-led military operation in Mali.
Algeria has authorized French warplanes to employ its airspace for launching airstrikes on the northern parts of the West African country controlled by rebel forces.
France launched a military intervention in Mali under the pretext of halting the advance of militants in the African country on January 11.
MKA/HGH
