BP says Algeria gas field hit by "security incident"

[Bosonic]

3. Islamists claim 41 Western hostages at Algerian gas field: media

Islamist militants claimed Tuesday they were holding 41 Western hostages at an Algerian gas field, according to an AFP report.

Earlier, reports suggested Islamists kidnapped nine foreigners and killed two people including a French national during a dawn raid on a gas production field in southern Algeria.

Algerian forces caught up with and surrounded the kidnappers and negotiations for the release of the hostages are ongoing, an Algerian official told AP. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

A group called the Katibat Moulathamine, or the Masked Brigade, called a Mauritanian news outlet to say they had carried out the operation on the Ain Amenas gas field, taking six hostages - three Norwegians, a Briton and an American. The Algerian official said earlier the kidnapped included people of English, Japanese and Norwegian nationality.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/16/260799.html