Priffe read this one right. Bad ending and indeed no exit strategy. This marks a change for the way AQIM interacts with westerners in the desert.

http://www.liberte-algerie.com/actua...-amenas-192758
Unhelpful if true.

-685 algerian and 107 foreign workers freed

-thirty-two (32) terrorists neutralized

-twenty-three (23) people killed.

Could have ended much worse. Algerian army came out on top and MBM will have to rethink his strategy - can't afford many more attacks like this. So he will be looking for softer targets.

Here is the full press release: (with some help from google translate)


"Algeria has had to deal with a major terrorist attack has jeopardized hundreds of human lives and strategic economic infrastructure.

This attack began the when a terrorist group, heavily armed, attacked a bus carrying 19 foreigners working on behalf of the group Sonatrach-BP-Statoil, escorted by members of the Gendarmerie Nationale, which was headed for the Airport Amenas.

This attack, which was strongly rejected by the escort units, resulted in the death of one (1) Algerian and one (1) British and six (6) injuries (4 national, English 1 and one Norwegian).

This attack was followed by an incursion into the remote base camp three (3) kilometers away, the gas plant Tiguentourine, where they took hostages.

This terrorist group that gained national territory from neighboring countries, several vehicles off-road, consisted of thirty-two (32) criminals, including three (3) Algerian with explosives specialists. Other criminals are of different nationalities.

Forces of the National Popular Army immediately put the necessary measures to secure the scene and neutralize this threat against hundreds of human lives and strategic gas installations.

Concomitantly, an emergency assistance and rescue was initiated and vrisis cells have been vreated at national and local levels, to cope with any eventuality and follow the development of the situation in order to take adequate measures.

The primary concern of protecting human life and the risks related to the nature of gas installations, site configuration and threat to the hostages made for a complex intervention by the Special Forces of the National People's Army.

To avoid a bloody turn of events and at the extreme danger of the situation, due to the clear intention to flee the country with the hostages and blow up gas facilities, special forces the ANP have launched, operational efficiency and professionalism, targeted intervention to neutralize the terrorist group. This intervention resulted in the trial balance as follows:

-685 Algerian and 107 foreign workers freed

Thirty-two (32) terrorists neutralized

-twenty-three (23) people dead

-The weapons recovered consists of six (6) machine guns (FMPK), 21 PMAK guns, two rifles glasses, two 60mm mortars, rockets, missiles 6 type C5 with 60mm launchers, 8 RPG7 with two rockets, 10 grenades arranged as explosive belts,

-Recovery of foreign military supplies

-The recovery of a stock of ammunition and explosives.

At the diplomatic level, regular contacts have been established with senior officials as well as the embassies of the countries directly concerned, to keep them regularly informed of developments.

Faced with this criminal aggression, Algeria wishes to express his appreciation to partner countries as well as international and regional organizations that have expressed their full solidarity and support and condemned in the strongest terms this terrorist attack ".

Some fascinating background details; involvement of Abou Zeid; hints of an inside job; and more.

http://www.liberte-algerie.com/actua...-amenas-192758

VEry interesting,bu , may be, need to be confirmed...

RR.

Final (?) assessment

29 terrorists killed, 3 arrested
3 algerians,11 tunisians, 2 canadians (likely forged passports),mauretanians, nigerians, egyptians, malians, moroccans.

37 hostages of eight nationalities and 1 algerian killed

The terrorists came in from Mali sneaking along the Algerian border through Niger and then Libya. The attack had been planned by MBM for two months at Aguelhoc, using inside information, with detailed plans of the plant. The satellite phone call to start the operation came from near Gao three hours before the attack and was intercepted by the Algerians.
Les révélations de Sellal - Actualité - El Watan

The Algerian way of seeing it, no other special force would have done a better job then the People's National Army did. That the Brits or anyone else could have played a role is shrugged off. That the attack could take place was not because of Algerian mistakes. Instead, they are saying that security has become lax because foreign companies such as BP have chosen to buy the services of private security companies.
Sécurisation à tout prix - Edito - El Watan
As the foreign security people became hostages, it was the Alg army that dealt with the situation.

In a worse case scenario, a large part of the desert could have blown up - 40 km radius according to some.
In Amenas encore sous le choc - Actualité - El Watan
The alg security guard who triggered the alarm before he died is seen as a hero who saved the plant and hundreds of lives. Gas production stopped immediately and the pressure was lowered, actions that prevented a huge disaster. Production resumed two days later.
Had a despondent call from Djanet, they expect it to take years before they see another tourist.

Abdou from the agency in Djanet said tourism was down 80% last year.
Now they've shown they're prepared to kamikaze themselves, this year it may approach three figures.
He flew out on the same plane as us...

Interestingly, two of us carried SPOT trackers for those back home who wanted to follow our progress, but from Wed am for 36 hours - just when most followers may have been getting alarmed as the news spread - tracking and waypoints on both units did not appear on the map. We were about 400km south of the plant.

Ch