Brussels, 21/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The brutal epilogue to the hostage-taking in Algeria, at the gas facility of Tiguentourine-In Amenas, is believed to be not yet over, despite the statements made on Monday 21 January by Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal. He stated that 37 foreign nationals of eight different nationalities had been killed in the attack over four days during which hostages were taken by a commando unit of 32 Islamists from Mali at a gas facility in South-East Algeria. On Saturday 19 January, the Algerian special forces brought this violent episode to a close.
One Algerian was also killed, bringing to 38 the number of those left dead by the attack last Wednesday on a bus carrying expatriates to In Amenas airport and the hostage-taking which followed, according to the figures which remain provisional. Sellal gave no details as to the nationality of the victims. But among the foreigners confirmed dead by their own countries are a Frenchman, an American, two Romanians, three Britons, six Filipinos and seven Japanese. Norway indicated that it had no news of five of its nationals, Malaysia two and Manila four, while the authorities announced that three other Britons and one Colombian were feared dead. Many foreign hostages were executed by their captors “with a bullet to the head”, Sellal stated. He added that seven of the 37 dead foreigners had not been identified, while five foreign nationals were still missing after the attack.
As for the hostage-takers, 29 were killed and three arrested, according to the prime minister, who added that “the 32 terrorists came from the north of Mali”. In addition to three Algerians, the attackers were of Canadian, Egyptian, Tunisian, Malian, Nigerian and Mauritian nationality. They were led by the Algerian Mohamed el-Amine Benchenab, who is well known to the information services and who was killed during the Army's attack which started on Thursday, Sellal stated. He went on to add that the captors were all members of the group “Those Who Signed in Blood” led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, one of the founders of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI), which he left in October to create his own group.
“The human losses were heavy, but many agree that the special forces avoided the worst as there could be no question of allowing the terrorists to leave with the hostages”, writes the influential Quotidien d'Oran (our translation).
Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council, condemns “the appalling acts carried out by terrorists in Algeria and deeply regrets the tragic outcome” of the deaths of “innocent hostages, including European citizens”. “My thoughts are with the families of the victims”, he said on 20 January.
“On behalf of the EU27”, Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the EU, expressed "sympathy to the families" of the victims and her “support for the Algerian authorities and the governments” of those who were killed. “These events show once again the threat posed by violent extremist groups in North Africa and throughout the world. We will continue to work closely with our international partners to combat terrorism”, Ashton stated. (FB/transl.fl)