In a first account of the hostage situation, the Algerian prime minister said Monday that the Islamic militants who attacked a BP facility in the Algerian desert were prepared to blow it up. At least 37 hostages and 29 militants are dead after Algerian special forces waged a counter-attack. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.By Kari Huus, Staff writer, NBC NewsALGIERS, 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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