Algeria: army kills 18 terrorists and frees 650 hostages

The Algerian army killed 18 terrorists on Friday as an armed group attacked a n oil field in In Amenas. Military operations are going on as 650 hostages including 100 foreigners were freed. Terrorist groups from Libya entered the Algerian borders in an attempt to lift the blockade on their elements in the complex, according to a security official.

The Signers in Blood said tens of kidnappers are armed. Militants from Western countries are among them, a spokesman for the group said the Nouakchott news agency.

According to an Algerian security official, 22 foreign hostages were reported missing after the army had raided a gas facility. Two Japanese nationals, two Britons and two Frenchmen out of seven foreigners were killed. The number of murdered Algerians was estimated at eight.

The army surrounded the oil field and used helicopters to explore and strafe the area. The places were terrorists were hiding were detected, Echorouk has learnt.

About seven terrorists are still holding seven hostages. Most of them are Americans. A hospital in In Amenas received seven bodies of hostages in plastic bags. Their nationalities were not identified. Some of them were severely wounded. Others were burnt and a number of the bodies were mutilated.

A military truck carried the bodies of terrorists to the same hospital. Of them, there were Abdellah Ould Hmida, Abu Al Baraa, the leader of the attack, Lamine Bechneb alias Taher, leader of the Sahara’s Sons for Islamic Justice movement and former leader of the South Sons for Justice movement which claimed responsibility for an attack on the Airport Djanet, four years ago.

Terrorist group enters Algerian borders coming from Libya

At around 11:30 on Friday, an Algerians security source told French news agency (AFP) a dangerous terrorist group entered the Algerian borders coming from Libya and joined the oil filed. They would have been sent by Belaouer.

Belaouer threatens to carry out similar attacks and warns Algerians

Spokesman for Katibat Moulathamine (Masked Brigade) group told the Nouakchott news agency the kidnappers did not have the intention to take the killed hostages and leave. They were going to take them on cars of their companies to a factory in the gas complex. Another group of kidnappers were holding a number of hostages before the army helicopters had strafed the cars and killed the hostages and the kidnappers.

The spokesman warned Algerians against getting close to foreign companies headquarter, saying: “we call on Algerians to be away from foreign companies headquarters. We will come to you from where you don’t expect.”

He added that his organization assigned a number of groups to carry out similar missions as long as the attacks on Azwad continue.

According to a security official, the army is still trying to reach a “peaceful solution” before killing the terrorist group which is hiding in an oil refinery factory and freeing hostages. The final death till has not been determined yet. Some foreigner workers are hiding in different places in the gas complex.

34 Philippian workers evacuated

A total of 34 Philipinian former hostages were evacuated on a special plane. They escaped terrorists after the intervention of the army. One of them is in serious state, according to spokesman for Philipinian foreign affairs ministry.

France: Sellal told Jean Marc the intervention is going on

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said a number of hostages were killed and the operation continued citing the Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal.

France’s interior minister Manuel Valls Friday said two French hostages were freed and they were in good health state. One of them said they lived terrifying moments. He had been hiding in a room for more than 40 hours. Unfortunately, he had some food and water. He said he escaped and was saved thanks to the Algerian army.

UK: 20 Britons are held hostage

UK foreign minister Friday said senior officials in Algeria told him the Algerian army intervention was going on. Prime Minister David Cameron said more than 20 Britons are among the hostages.

Army raises panic among kidnappers

An audio tape of a kidnapper called Abu Dadjana showed panic among terrorist groups as the army entered the gas site in In Amenas.

The terrorist said in the tape which was broadcast by the Nouakchott news agency “the army stormed us … the army stormed us!” He spoke to the agency on a mobile phone. He seemed incapable of describing what happened. He kept repeating the same sentence “the army stormed us!” Later, he ordered a terrorist to respond to the army using a gunmachine.

Irish hostage’s brother: the army strafed five jeeps carrying hostages

Brian McFaul told Reuters his brother Stephen said he survived because he was on the only one of five jeeps not hit by Algerian bombs.

“They were moving five jeep-loads of hostages from one part of the compound. At that stage they were intercepted by the Algerian army. The army bombed four out of five of the trucks and four of them were destroyed,” Reuters reported citing the Irishmen’s brother.

“The truck my brother was in crashed and at that stage Stephen was able to make a break for his freedom,” he said. “He presumed everyone else in the other trucks was killed.”

Algerian survivor: the armed men told us they will kill unbelievers

The attackers who arrived on Wednesday before dawn ran through the vast compound, which includes a huge residential barracks and a gas processing plant, searching for foreigners, Reuters reported citing an Algerian worker who escaped kidnappers.

“The terrorists told us at the very start that they would not hurt Muslims but were only interested in the Christians and infidels,” said Abdelkader, 35.

“‘We will kill them,’ they said”, he added.