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Subscribe to RSSUS officials are saying very little about the Algerian military operation to free those taken hostage after militants attacked a gas facility Wednesday morning. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.
The fate of dozens of hostages seized by Islamists at a gas field in Algeria remained unclear early Friday, hours after the Algerian military stormed the site.
At least six people, and perhaps many more, were killed, The Associated Press reported, and dozens were unaccounted for.
Algerian state media reported Thursday evening that the military operation had ended at the remote desert facility where dozens of workers — including three Americans — had been held hostage. The Algerian government was reported as saying two Filipinos and two British hostages had been killed.
Accounts of the number of hostages and militants killed in the operation differed wildly — ranging from four to 35 — in reports from regional sources cited by The Associated Press and Reuters.
Among those unaccounted for were Americans, Britons, French, Norwegians, Romanians, Malaysians, Japanese and Algerians.
Some of the hostages reportedly escaped from the natural gas pumping plant, near In Amenas, close to the border with Libya and 800 miles from the Algerian capital.
An unknown number of hostages left the country on a charter flight and were expected to land at London's Gatwick airport near midnight Thursday, according to BP, which operates the gas complex. The plane had not arrived as of 3:15 a.m. Friday.
The Islamist militants stormed the plant and workers' housing before dawn on Wednesday seizing up to 41 hostages in one of the biggest international hostage incidents in decades.
The militants have demanded an end to the French military campaign in Mali where ground troops and air forces of the former colonial power are backing Mali's military in offensive against Islamist rebels linked to al-Qaida in that country.
The group that has claimed responsibility for the gas plant raid is said to be led by an Islamic militant called Mokhtar bel Mokhtar, whose nicknames include "The Uncatchable" and "Mr. Marlboro."
According to the AP, militants with the Masked Brigade, a Mali-based al-Qaida offshoot, provided updates through a Mauritanian news organization that said the Algerians attacked when the militants tried to move hostages from the energy complex. The group claimed that 35 hostages and 15 militants died but seven hostages survived the helicopter attack on its convoy.
An Algerian security official says the decision to send forces came because the militants were being stubborn and wanted to flee with the hostages.
U.S. officials called the hostage situation "murky" and said the United States is working with the Algerian government and other affected nations to try to resolve the situation as quickly and securely as possible.
"It's in a remote area of Algeria, near the Libyan border," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. "The security of our Americans who are held hostage is our highest priority, but of course we care deeply about the other Algerian and foreign hostages as well."
Clinton said she could not provide any additional information about the situation.
An Ireland government spokesman said Thursday that an Irish national held at the In Amenas gas plant had "made contact with his family and is understood to be safe and well, and no longer a hostage."
Sky News in London identified the Irish survivor as Stephen McFaul, 46, from west Belfast.
In an interview with the television station, McFaul's father Christopher said he was "delighted" by the news but added he felt "sorry for the other hostages that are still there."
He also described the last 48 hours as "hell".
Stephen McFaul's son, Dylan, also spoke to the Sky reporters: "I can't even explain the excitement. I can't wait until he gets home again," he said, adding that he would tell his father "he's never going back there and I'm not letting him".
A local resident near the plant told Reuters the Algerian military had opened fire and that "many people" were killed.
Twenty hostages of an Algerian militant group with ties to al Qaeda in a standoff with the Algerian Army are reported to have escaped Thursday. Over 41 hostages of several nationalities, including Americans, were being held in a BP gas facility. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
Faycal Metaqui, a journalist at Algerian newspaper El Watan, told French news channel BFM that he was unable to confirm with authorities the earlier reports that some hostages had escaped.
"Sadly, there have been some reports of casualties, but we are still lacking any confirmed or reliable information," said a statement from oil giant BP, which is a joint owner of the plant.
Related content:
In Mali, land of 'gangster-jihadists,' ransoms help fuel the movement
France launches 'tough' ground offensive against Mali's Islamist rebels
Nancy Ing, Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube of NBC News, contributed to this report.
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Algerian forces, set out to make a lasting impression, I suppose they have succeeded. We can only hope the reports are exaggerated and more than 5 hostages will make it out alive. My heart goes out the families and friends of all the hostages.
Very sad for al the families that lost loved ones.
I get a bit angry when if see our President say things that are supported by an agenda and campaign promises rather than reality. The latest - President Obama on 1-14-2013 said:
Obama: In my 4 years 'we've dealt devastating blows to al
Qaeda' - We've pushed the Taliban out of their strongholds. And our core objective — the
reason we went to war in the first place — is now within reach: ensuring that
al Qaeda can never again use Afghanistan to launch attacks against America.
He's made some 32 variations of this statement in the past year. Yes, this happened in Africa, but al-Qaida is not suffering from our actions against them. In fact, because we have set the date in 2014 for our exit, they are simply waiting us out just as they have in Irag.
Apparently he has pushed them out of Afghanistan, & into Pakistan, Algeria & Mali.
Well they won't be there long, because we are leaving very soon now. Besides based on these comments from the December report things look great according to the White House, don't ya know!
Stars and Stripes – December 10, 2012
While the report notes that the Taliban will likely try to
regain lost territory, Majidyar says he thinks their strategy now is more
focused on intimidating the Afghan people while they wait until coalition
forces have left to attempt to topple the Afghan government .
Though the surge pushed the Taliban out of some areas, no
one knows how durable the gains will be, said Vanda Felbab-Brown, foreign
policy fellow at the Brooking Institution and author of a new book about the
future of Afghanistan.
Whether the transition in Afghanistan is really on track, as
the report claims, is questionable, she said.
“To the extent that we define transition as getting out of
Afghanistan, which I see as increasingly the mood… then we are certainly on
track,” Felbab-Brown said. “If one defines on track as leaving behind a stable
government with a capable security component, then no, we are not on track.”
Aggression will follow Obama where ever he goes.
Say, Big Boy, why don't you move your Anti-Gun Movement to the Middle East??
I think one needs to look behind the headlines. Events in Mali, now Algeria -I wondered when NATO ( French or whoever) will get around to use that base in Libya obtained through "mild persuation "to terrorize populations in Africa as someone mentioned before, so they come around to European way of thinking. Things are not always what they seem.
Where are the American hoastatges? Where oh where is Obama and Hillary? and what does Al Gore's network report? the one who is supported by big oil and Islamic radicals! That one! Hillary will have another concussion soon on this one, and Obama will blame her, Bush, and guns ! I guess the movie ARGO inflamed this situation, ARREST AFFLAck!!!!
Can't you just hear all the Ass-holes on FOX news saying (especially a dick-head like Sean Hannity)....
"Why didn't President Obama protect these American workers from being taken hostage in Algeria?.... we demand an investigation"
Speaking of asses, kiss this one.
oh baby can I
Chicago is the perfect example of Stringent Gun Control. See how well it works?
We'ld still like to hear the TRUTH about the Failed Benghazi Mission.
Remember the DEAD Benghazi FOUR !!
Never FORGET Benghazi !!
Terrible tragedy. Proves my point that what we REALLY need to ban is military actions. The military kills WAY more people than law abiding gun owners ever have.
I guess Algeria wanted that plant up and running.
They don't care if the Infidels die to get that done.
Let the money keep flowing in.
They also don't want armed infidels coming in to do a rescue mission.
I don't think this is the last we will hear about this.
Algeria is just another future front in this Holy War.
TEXAS SUCKS
THE POLICE ARE WORST THAN THE CRIMINALS AND WILL PLANT EVIDENCE AND LIE TO PUT ANYONE IN JAIL
THEY should have warning signs at the borders which say; Enter AT your Own RISK.
what planet are you on Ass-hole
Did something happen in Texas?
OK.
Oregon sucks.
That was fun.
Hawaii is the only good Blue State.
Texas vacuums!
George. You are an ill misinformed whack-job. No wonder the World is the way it is with statements and thinking like that. Go back into your hole and then take a look at yourself. You may not like what you see.
There is only one thing to do with these Radical Muslims and that is to bring even More of them to the U.S. Then they will see the Error of their ways and become westernized. lol,lol, That is Our Governments Idea of dealing with the Muslim problem, Europe's too.
The Muslims I know here in the U.S. are terribly impressed with our religious freedom. They go home with tales of worshipping in some of the most beautiful buildings in the DC metro area, of toleration, & of piety all the more impressive because is voluntary instead of mandatory.
They tend to get shot & blown up for their trouble.
Let's hope the Irishman was not alone in escaping
I will bloody your English A$$
I for one am tired of standing by and watching innocent people die for a so called religion. Either we just pull out of those countries, destroying everything we built as we go, or we stand up and truly fight. No more little skirmishes, drop some heavy ordinance. Wipe those little towel heads off the map. Sorry got carried away, wipe the terrorists out. No more Mr. Nice Guy show them how well our armed forces can really be when they are not held back. We still have plenty of B-52's. Start carpet bombing their training areas. I know I will get alot of flack for saying this but I am tired of these low life Muslims talk about how peaceful they are and in the next sentence scream to kill all infidels. Who is the infidel, to them anyone that does not believe as they do. Now I am not saying just go in and kill all Muslims, They are not all bad people. There are many who are really no differant than any American, British,French, or Japanese. Pinpoint where you can and then warn that we mean business
Pinpointing is the problem. How do you tell the fanatics of any religion from the true believers?
"Wipe them out! Carpet bomb them! Leave their widows & orphans weeping in a destroyed land & in abject poverty! In the name of a loving & forgiving God, & His Son, the Prince of Peace, who tuaght us to love our neighbors, amen."
They seems to be a few thoughtful people on this forum, but also so real idiots. Yes radical islamic militants are our enemy, but lets not make all muslins our enemy. That would be stupid. There are so many differances among muslins in their attitudes and beliefs that blanket statements are ridiculous.
There is not enough information to this story to say what really happened.
Islam is a cancer on Africa. In our lifetime it has killed tens of millions.
The only way to deal with these terrorist's. STOP BUYING OIL from OPEC. My bet is they will kill all the crazy bastard's themselves to get MORE OF OUR MONEY. Bring our troops home let them drink there oil and eat sand.
first week after the elections the EPA shut down 1.25 million square miles of federal land to drilling.
Obama didn't mention that plan when he said he would pursue all available energy sources.
He is a lying sack of Shiite. You can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth.
The Algerian Government doesn't negotiate with hostage takers, obviously, they don't negotiate with hostages either.
I agree with everybody. you are all right.
Ice Cube. You rollin with the whole Compton Possie?
Obama has completely effed up the Mali mess. Now, the liberal media does't even identify in the headline that "Americans" were taken as hostages. We're "Westerners" now.
Just like Egypt, Libya, Benghazi and now Mali. Obama is either a feckless idiot or is a sympathizer to these terrorists.
Either way, thanks, Welfare Queens, for sticking us with this loser for another 4 years.
once again, silence from the liar in chief. does the american public really need any more proof of the incompetence and weakness of this admin?
Hey OC VOICE - WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? Of course our fearless leader and chief (sorry couldn't bring myself to capitalize) cares for American's (his kind of americans), besides his media watchdogs determined they were Westeners not Americans.
Again, for your own benefit, avoid lumping all Moslems together & stereotyping them. Remember all the violence in Northern Ireland? No Moslems involved. Moslems were invovled in the Balkans, as victims. Note that the Serbs & Croats, gleefully shooting each other when there are no Moslems handy, are both predominantly Christian.
Many Moslem countries, especially those with oil, have seen some of the most savage, ruthless, murderous tyrants in history installed as "leaders" by Western corporations backed by Western armies. Making these despots representative of Islam is equivalent to making Hitler representative of Christianity.
The depth of your ignorance concerning Islam, & your own religion, calls the validity of your opinions into question.
I case you were wondering where the action is
The map of the Algerian siege is at matei . org / url / 1ox
The only good Islamic scumbag terrorist coward is a dead scumbag Islamic terrorist coward. These pig eating,pig humping cowards only attack the innocent especially defenseless women and children. They are the maggots of the world.
Africa has a long and bloody road ahead.
Massive over population
uneducated masses
Culture of corruption
Islam
I feel bad for the black race and all the exotic animals that are dying out.
Arab Muslims kill all the blacks, use them as cannon fodder, then slowly replace them with Arab Muslims. Darfur is a prime example. Libya is another.
Many Arab leaders hated Moarmar because he integrated Black Africans into his society.
Ethnic cleansing is what we brought to Libya.
I predict we will have big problems in Algeria in the next 5 years. They are close enough to strike Europe.
Can Morocco be to far off in the Jihadist plans?
They are close enough to Europe to reach it in a row boat.
Obviously the Algerian forces are not equipped nor capable to conduct a resue op.
The cliche" a little kowledge is a dangerous thing" applies here.
What's worse is most of the comments on this thread are by people without any knowledge who just speak hatred and intolerance and get their insults and name calling in to further their own agendas such as hating the President or the Dems or the Gop etc. ...
To the ones condemning Americans working abroad , the nuke em all crowd, the keep our forces out of it crowd, and some other lunacy based views such as why don't we have all the answers now Stop It !!
Americans work abroad because of the Global Economy and their skills as engineers ,experts in their fields and so on means going to where the work is. The US is not involved at least not yet. Since some hostages were American's our special forces including the Seals are experts at extracting hostages quickly with minimal loss of life. However many countries have teams capable of the same. Info is changing as the events are still unfolding so there are no correct answers to why who and how at the moment. Some 20 or so hostages escaped. Many are dead and many have explosives strapped to them and the entire processing plant is wired to blow and the place is surrounded. I don't see a good ending to this at all. It's too late now for a precision extraction. To the ones who say the hostages always die just shut up. How many watched the video in this article. I would guess less than 20%.
The few good posts get lost among all the idiotic ones just running their sewers that are usually called mouths.
I applaud your well thought out comment.
I didn't watch the video but am following this story closely.
It seems like they wanted to do the "rescue Mission" fast so no other countries would bring forces in.
Hopefully they killed enough of the Islamist to stop any plans of blowing up the joint.
Here we go again!
Create & make another > "DISTRACTION" that is important enough to divert the GUN ISSUE & take the HEAT OFF OBAMA for a minute! done by the > "GLOBAL ELITE"
Now let's hurry hurry hurry! send American troops to go locate & apprehend > Mr. Marlboro! LMFAO HERE!!!
Boy oh Boy! This world has had it!
I'm sure Obama won't make the same mistake Cheney and Bush did in Iraq...
Nothing has been done towards helping the economy.
The Gun debate makes a powerful distraction.
NBC doesn't even report Unemployment numbers anymore.
Like we could believe the numbers anyways, right?
Meanwhile Obama, the Drone Assasin, is pulling troops out of Afghanistan, sending them to Turkey - so they can blow the hell out of Syrian civilians. Nice guy - All hail Freedonia!
so we just tell the Mexicans that the welfare is better in Algeria, then they will start swimming across the big border, for a better life of course, then they have more hostages, except they have to feed them, and give the free medical care !!! problem solved, except Obama will lose a lot of his voters.