TOKYO, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Nine Japanese nationals were
killed during a four-day siege at a gas plant in Algeria, where
the number of hostages killed had already reached at least 48, a
Japanese government source said on Monday.
“We’ve received information from the Algerian government
that nine Japanese are dead,” the official, who declined to be
identified pending the official announcement, told Reuters.
The Japanese government and engineering firm JGC Corp
, which had several dozen employees working at the
plant, have so far said only that 10 Japanese workers remained
unaccounted for. Neither would confirm media reports of
casualties.
JGC is due to give an update regarding its staff in Algeria
at 0600 GMT.
The deadly siege, one of the worst international hostage
crises in decades, was claimed by a veteran Islamist fighter on
behalf of al Qaeda.
