AMENAS (Arrahmah.com) – According to French media outlets, Mujahideen of AQIM conducted a special operation to capture Western technicians and administrators at oil-producing complex of British Petroleum (BP) in the Algerian city of Amenas, located near the Libyan border, at dawn on January 16.
Algerian media citing government sources report that two foreigners – an Englishman and a Frenchman – have been killed, and six wounded, during the capture. 41 foreigners have been captured. This number is confirmed by the Mujahideen of AQIM.
Their press release, quoted by Mauritanian news agency Agence Nouakchott Information, says that 5 prisoners are at the plant, 36 others are in residential buildings (“base de vie”) of the complex.
Western media earlier reported much lower figures in terse reports.
Among the foreigners are Americans (7 people), British, French, Irish, Norwegian, Japanese, etc.
AFP reports that the operation was carried out by an Islamic organization Katiba Moulathamin (“Blood Signatories’ Battalion”) and quotes a Mujahid.
“We are members of al-Qaeda, and we came from northern Mali. We belong to the Khaled Abul Abbas Brigade led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar”, reports AFP, recalling that Belmokhtar promised to resist any military intervention by French crusaders in Mali, and explaining that Belmokhtar is one of military commanders of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, who went to Azawad in former northern Mali.
For its part, the news agency Agence Nouakchott d’Information (ANI) quoted a spokesman of Katiba Moulathamin who said that the operation had been carried a response to blatant interference of Algeria, which authorized the use of its airspace for French aviation, so that it could bomb peaceful Muslim cities and village of Azawad in former northern Mali.
At present, the BP oil-production complex is encircled on perimeter by Algerian puppet troops.
source : Kavkaz Center
