We know little about this incident, but before we even got a good base it looks like the Algerian air force bombed the crap out of the facilities.
A natural gas mining facility in the south of Algiers owned by BP (yes, that British BP, together with a Norwegian firm and the Algerian state-owned firm) was the site of a hostage crisis. Armed gunmen stormed the place and took hostages. Out of the approx. one hundred hostages, we're down to around thirty foreign nationals including British, French, Norwegian, Japanese and US. The takeover cost the lives of two people, and those who were local were released.
Reports are conflicting at best. We can speculate that this could have something to do with the operations in Mali, although it could just be that they want to take the hostages down south as bargaining chips against those countries they belong to (and are participating in hostilities such as France and soon enough the UK and USA).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21042659
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21054521
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21063370
The militants have apparently(We're not sure if its actually their representatives) given out a list of demands, including a demand to France to stop its operation in Mali. Some reports claim that Al-Qaeda is running the operations, while others place the blame on the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion.
Reports saying that the hostages were forced to wear explosive belts are also coming in. The current situation is unknown, and we're looking forward to more details.
The result of the bombing left dozens dead - both kidnappers and civilians.
France had increased its troop presence in Mali. More nations have agreed to aid France and its African allies logistically, and it looks like the UK might contribute a fighting force.
A natural gas mining facility in the south of Algiers owned by BP (yes, that British BP, together with a Norwegian firm and the Algerian state-owned firm) was the site of a hostage crisis. Armed gunmen stormed the place and took hostages. Out of the approx. one hundred hostages, we're down to around thirty foreign nationals including British, French, Norwegian, Japanese and US. The takeover cost the lives of two people, and those who were local were released.
Reports are conflicting at best. We can speculate that this could have something to do with the operations in Mali, although it could just be that they want to take the hostages down south as bargaining chips against those countries they belong to (and are participating in hostilities such as France and soon enough the UK and USA).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21042659
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21054521
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21063370
The militants have apparently(We're not sure if its actually their representatives) given out a list of demands, including a demand to France to stop its operation in Mali. Some reports claim that Al-Qaeda is running the operations, while others place the blame on the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion.
Reports saying that the hostages were forced to wear explosive belts are also coming in. The current situation is unknown, and we're looking forward to more details.
The result of the bombing left dozens dead - both kidnappers and civilians.
France had increased its troop presence in Mali. More nations have agreed to aid France and its African allies logistically, and it looks like the UK might contribute a fighting force.
