Editor's Note: The Ain Amenas gas plant in Algeria is "owned" by the infamous British Petroleum Company (BP). The capitalist media reports on the seizure by Algerian nationals are laced with references to "Islamists," "terrorists," and "Islamic terrorists." Japan Times reports that it was "a deadly attack ... in reprisal for Algeria's cooperation in French operations in Mali." But the real terrorists are British Petroleum, the French government and their puppet regime in Algeria. Following the US/NATO destruction and occupation of Libya and Algeria's puppet government collusion with the French in Mali, the seizure of the gas plant was predictable and understandable, regardless of one's views of the morality of the seizure. As long as transnational corporations continue to colonize and rob countries of their natural resources more operations like this can be expected.

- Les Blough, Editor

UPDATE: Today, the number of hostages who have died at BP's Ain Amenas gas plant in Algeria has increased from 23 to 48. The French Government and British Petroleum are directly responsible for the deaths of these workers. The BBC reported today: 

"At least 48 hostages are now thought to have died in a four-day siege at an Algerian gas plant, as reports say that 25 bodies found at the complex on Sunday were all those of captives. It had initially been unclear whether the bodies found were those of hostage-takers or staff at the facility. A day earlier, Algerian officials reported the deaths of 23 hostages, saying many more were unaccounted for."

- Les Blough, Editor

New reports say twelve hostages have died in a botched operation to rescue workers being held captive by militants at a gas plant in eastern Algeria.

On Friday, the Algerian Press Service quoted a security source as saying, "As well as the 18 terrorists who were killed, 12 Algerian and foreign workers died.”

On Thursday, the Algerian army launched an assault on the militants, who stormed the gas plant, which is located in the town of In Amenas, on Wednesday.

Reporters say that seven foreigners remain in captivity at the gas plant -- three Belgians, two US citizens, one Briton, and one Japanese.

On Thursday, the militants blew up a part of the plant to keep the Algerian forces at bay.

Earlier reports said the army had freed 573 Algerians and around 100 foreign hostages. However, about 30 people remain unaccounted for and it is still not clear how many hostages were freed and how many were killed.

An Algerian government source said the army had gone in under "extremely complex" conditions and had averted a "disaster."

The militant group, which splintered off of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), is known as the Signed-in-Blood Battalion, which could also be translated as Those who Sign with Blood Battalion, but has also used the names the Masked Men Brigade and the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade.

The Signed-in-Blood Battalion said the hostage-taking incident was carried out in reprisal for France’s intervention in Mali’s internal affairs and has demanded an immediate end to the military offensive.

Sources close to the group’s leader, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, said the gunmen also want to exchange the US citizens for prisoners held in the United States.

On January 11, France launched a military intervention in Mali under the pretext of halting the advance of militants in the African country.

Four days later, France announced that it would more than triple the number of its troops in Mali from 800 to 2,500. French soldiers launched their first ground attack against the rebel forces on January 16.

GVN/HGL

Source: Press TV