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Algeria hostages: UK 'working hard' to find Britons Algeria hostages: UK 'working hard' to find Britons
(about 3 hours later)
UK officials are "working hard" to locate Britons missing or feared dead after the Algeria kidnap crisis, says Foreign Secretary William Hague.UK officials are "working hard" to locate Britons missing or feared dead after the Algeria kidnap crisis, says Foreign Secretary William Hague.
A Foreign Office team is also focusing on returning survivors to the UK, he said, after a raid by Algerian troops ended the four-day siege on Saturday.
Five Britons and one UK resident are feared dead or unaccounted for. One Briton has already been confirmed dead.Five Britons and one UK resident are feared dead or unaccounted for. One Briton has already been confirmed dead.
An unknown number of Britons have survived. Some returned to the UK overnight, the Foreign Office said.
A raid by Algerian troops ended a four-day siege at the In Amenas gas facility on Saturday.
Algerian authorities say a total of 23 hostages and 32 terrorists have died.Algerian authorities say a total of 23 hostages and 32 terrorists have died.
The Algerian Interior Ministry also said that 107 foreign workers and 685 local employees had been released following the end of the hostage-taking by Islamist militants at the Western-run In Amenas gas facility, in the Sahara desert. The Algerian Interior Ministry also said that 107 foreign workers and 685 local employees had been released, following the end of the hostage-taking by Islamist militants at the Western-run In Amenas gas facility, in the Sahara desert.
Family support
Speaking at the Foreign Office on Saturday evening, Mr Hague said: "Our priority now is to work out exactly what has happened to every British national who might have been caught up in this terrible situation."Speaking at the Foreign Office on Saturday evening, Mr Hague said: "Our priority now is to work out exactly what has happened to every British national who might have been caught up in this terrible situation."
He went on: "On the basis of all the information we have... we believe that there are five British nationals and one UK resident who are either deceased or unaccounted for, in addition to the one fatality that we had already confirmed.He went on: "On the basis of all the information we have... we believe that there are five British nationals and one UK resident who are either deceased or unaccounted for, in addition to the one fatality that we had already confirmed.
"Now obviously we're working hard to get definitive information about each individual."Now obviously we're working hard to get definitive information about each individual.
"We're in touch with all of the families concerned and we're working closely with BP and with police forces across the country to give those families the support they need at this very difficult time.""We're in touch with all of the families concerned and we're working closely with BP and with police forces across the country to give those families the support they need at this very difficult time."
Offers of help
Prime Minister David Cameron said that he had been told in a phone call from his Algerian counterpart when the hostage crisis was over.Prime Minister David Cameron said that he had been told in a phone call from his Algerian counterpart when the hostage crisis was over.
"There is no justification for taking innocent life in this way," Mr Cameron said."There is no justification for taking innocent life in this way," Mr Cameron said.
The crisis began on Wednesday when militants attacked two buses carrying foreign workers the remote site in south-eastern Algeria. A Briton and an Algerian reportedly died in the incident.
The militants then took Algerians and expatriates hostage at the complex, which was quickly surrounded by the Algerian army.
A statement from the kidnappers said the assault on the gas plant was launched in retaliation for French intervention against Islamist groups in neighbouring Mali.
Offers of help
It is not yet clear how many British hostages were involved, but the Scottish government confirmed that eight Scots were "safe and secure" following the crisis.
The Foreign Office would not give any details of the British nationals who returned overnight - but said the Foreign Secretary would give an update on the situation later this morning.
The In Amenas gas field is situated at Tigantourine, about 40km (25 miles) south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers.The In Amenas gas field is situated at Tigantourine, about 40km (25 miles) south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers.
The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company.The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company.
Asked whether he felt regret that Algeria had refused British offers of help in tackling the militants, Mr Hague said: "They are a sovereign country. That is up to them." BP said it had 18 employees on the site at the time of the attack. Chief executive Bob Dudley said the company was "unable to confirm the location or situation" of four employees and had "grave fears" that they were likely to have suffered fatalities.
While it was "right for this country to offer our help", he said he didn't "want to at this stage enter into criticism or judgement because there will be a lot to be learnt yet about this operation". There were initial concerns from British and other government when they were not notified in advance of the Algerian assault on the plan on Thursday, despite offering assistance to the authorities.
Conservative MP Patrick Mercer, a former homeland security adviser, suggested that no British special forces could have been in place "particularly quickly" to offer help. Asked whether he felt regret that Algeria had refused British offers of help, Mr Hague said: "They are a sovereign country. That is up to them."
"I think that we have the most capable special forces in the world, but what we don't know is how quickly the Algerians needed assistance, or how quickly they needed to move. My guess is that rapidity was incredibly important, and that's why they did what they did." While it was "right for this country to offer our help", he said he did not want to "enter into criticism or judgement because there will be a lot to be learnt yet about this operation".
Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "If it's a question that without military action being taken then there would be substantial loss of life then it's quite hard to argue with that."
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