Breaking News - Hostage death toll reaches 48 at Algeria gas plant

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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.By Peter Graff, ReutersALGIERS, Algeria -- The death toll has risen to at least 48 hostages killed during a four-day siege at a gas plant deep in the Sahara as a veteran Islamist fighter claimed responsibility on behalf of al-Qaida for the attack.

Follow @NBCNewsWorld  Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal is expected to give details at a Monday news conference about one of the worst international hostage crises in decades, which left American, British, French, Japanese, Norwegian and Romanian workers dead or missing.

A security source said on Sunday Algerian troops had found the bodies of 25 hostages, raising the number of militants and their captives killed to at least 80. He said six militants were captured alive and troops were still searching for others.




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