Freed British Hostages Tell Of Rescue Relief

British hostages have spoken of their ordeal in Algeria, praising the army rescue team that saved their lives.

Speaking to state television, one man, who gave his name as Darren Matthews, said: "I feel safe at the moment but I won't feel 100% happy until I'm back in the UK, until I see my family."

He said: "My heart goes out to the guys that are still there and hopefully everyone comes home safe because, at the end of the day, it's only work, you know. No one should have to go through all this for a job."

Darren Matthews and two other British hostages released from the gas plant

Another of the four Britons who spoke said: "I think they did a fantastic job, I was very impressed with the Algerian army.

"I feel sorry for anybody who has been hurt."

A third man said that the Algerian army had "beaten the bad guys".

Ten Britons are still understood to be "at risk" as Islamist gunmen continue to hold off Algerian troops at the In Amenas gas plant for the third day.

The group, believed to be under the command of the al Qaeda-linked terrorist Mokhtar Balmokhtar, carried out their dawn raid on the plant on Wednesday morning.

Belmokhtar, is a one-eyed Algerian terrorist, known as The Uncatchable, who specialises in hostage taking and has strong links with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Algerian forces launched their rescue mission early on Thursday fearing an "immediate threat" to the hostages.

The rescue attempt ended in a number of deaths

Algeria's state news agency says 12 hostages have been killed since the start of the operation to free the workers. Among them are one Briton, one Frenchman - named by France's Foreign Ministry as Yann Desjeux - and one American, Frederick Buttaccio.

It also says 100 foreign hostages have been freed.

But 18 kidnappers have been killed and 30 hostages are still unaccounted for, according to the state news agency.

Sources from the Islamist group have told Mauritania's ANI news agency that they are still holding "seven foreigners in the plant".

They are said to be demanding the release of two terror figures held in the US, including the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing mastermind Omar Abdel Rahman, in return for American hostages.

The US state department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, responded saying: "The United States does not negotiate with terrorists."

A satellite image shows the scale of the sprawling gas complex

After chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee, the Prime Minister told MPs that the situation in Algeria was "continuing" but he hoped it would be resolved shortly.

He said the attack on the complex was "large, well co-ordinated and heavily armed" and appeared to be pre-planned.

He also met the outgoing US defence secretary Leon Panetta and the pair discussed the need to work together to defeat al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

A British plane carrying a "diplomatic team" has arrived in Algeria around 280 miles from the hostage scene.

Meanwhile a US plane is beginning the process of evacuating its citizens, and other nationalities.

The Algerian rescue attempt was launched without consultation with the UK. Mr Cameron was only informed it was under way when he spoke to the Algerian prime minister.

The In Amenas facility is close to the border with Libya

Algerian communications minister Mohamed Said Belaid said the military operation succeeded in "neutralising a large number of terrorists and freeing a large number of hostages".

He added: "But unfortunately, we are sorry to say, there were some deaths and injuries."

Among those confirmed freed include Irishman Stephen McFaul and three Japanese workers.

The militant group behind the raid Katibat Moulathamine, or The Masked Ones, said it was retaliating for French military intervention against al Qaeda-backed rebels in neighbouring Mali..

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