Six hostages, eight rebels killed in Algeria strike - source

ALGIERS - Six foreign hostages and eight of their captors were killed by an Algerian military strike on a vehicle being used by the kidnappers at a remote gas plant, a source in the town where the incident was unfolding told Reuters.

The source said some hostages were still being held, and 180 Algerian citizens had escaped.

QAEDA-LINKED KIDNAPPER SAYS REMAINING HOSTAGES ARE TWO AMERICANS, THREE BELGIANS, ONE JAPANESE AND ONE BRITISH CITIZEN - ANI NEWS AGENCY

@nor The only information we have received on Norwegian hostages is an earlier report that Norway's Prime Minister believes some Norwegian nationals are involved.

@Deb Campbell @ike Six foreign hostages and eight of their captors were killed when Algerian forces fired on a vehicle being used by besieged gunmen at a gas plant in the remote Algerian desert on Thursday, a local source told Reuters.

Mauritania's ANI news agency, which has been in constant contact with the kidnappers, said seven hostages were still being held: two Americans, three Belgians, one Japanese and one British citizen.

Six hostages, 8 kidnappers killed in Algeria siege; 7 still held

Seven foreign hostages alive after strike on Algeria siege - ANI

NOUAKCHOTT, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Seven foreign hostages are still alive after an Algerian military raid on a siege at a gas plant on Thursday, Mauritania's ANI news agency reported, citing one of the al Qaeda-linked kidnappers.

ANI said a spokesman for the kidnappers told the agency those hostages were three Belgians, two Americans, a Japanese and a Briton. No details were given for the Algerians who were also captured.

A number of hostages and kidnappers were reported killed in an air strike by the Algerian army on the facility.

Four foreign hostages freed by Algerian army -APS

ALGIERS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Four foreign hostages were freed on Thursday by Algeria's armed forces, the official APS news agency said, giving no further details.

A local source has told Reuters six hostages were killed when a vehicle was fired upon by the military. A separate source, in the security services, said earlier that 25 foreigners had escaped.

Gunmen said they were initially holding 41 foreign hostages after they stormed a gas plant in the remote Algerian desert on Wednesday morning.

@Prince Mhmood @TwentyFourr @Arab_News_egy Our latest report is here: Six hostages, 8 kidnappers killed in Algeria siege; 7 still held

Six foreign hostages and eight of their captors were killed when Algerian forces fired on a vehicle being used by besieged gunmen at a gas plant in the remote Algerian desert on Thursday, a local source told Reuters.

Mauritania's ANI news agency, which has been in constant contact with the kidnappers, said seven hostages were still being held: two Americans, three Belgians, one Japanese and one British citizen.

[...] An Algerian security source said 25 foreign hostages had escaped alive. The local source in the town who gave the death toll in the strike said 180 Algerian hostages had also managed to flee.

[...] ANI and Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported that 34 of the captives and 15 of the captors had been killed when government forces fired from helicopters at a vehicle.

However, those death tolls were far higher than confirmed by the local source and also contradict the reports that large numbers of foreigners escaped alive.

[...] A group calling itself the "Battalion of Blood" said it initially seized 41 foreigners, including Americans, Japanese and Europeans, after storming the gas pumping station and its employee barracks before dawn on Wednesday.

Reuters: Irish man held hostage in Algeria has been freed and is safe, the Irish Foreign Ministry says.