By Kari Huus, Staff writer, NBC News(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/130120-algeria-hmed-6p.photoblog600.jpg)Anis Belghoul / APAlgerian army trucks make their way on a road the gas plant where hostages were taken, deep in the Sahara desert in Algeria on Sunday. Algeria's special forces stormed the natural gas complex in a final assault Saturday, killing 11 militants, but not before the militants in turn killed seven hostages.ALGIERS, Algeria — The U.S. State Department on Monday confirmed that three American citizens were among those killed during the hostage-taking by Islamic militants at a gas field in Algeria.
The death toll from the four-day siege deep in the Sahara has risen to at least 67, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said Monday on Algerian televsion. The number includes 38 foreign workers and 29 militants who died in the crisis which came to an end in a bloody confrontation with Algerian forces.
Five foreigners remained unaccounted for, Sellal said.
A Japanese government source said the Algerian government had informed Tokyo that nine Japanese had been killed, the highest toll among the non-Algerians working there.
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