This happened amid terrible pressure from Western countries on Algeria, where France spoke of a tragic development in the conditions of the hostage taking. Britain, on the other hand, confirmed that it would have preferred to be informed of the operation before it was carried out.
As one of the elements of the masked battalion confirmed to the Kashout Agency: “The military helicopters started bombing the compound and hit a number of abductees, estimated to be two, and the fighters of the organization responded to it”.
30 Algerian workers and 15 foreigners fleeing the hands of the kidnappers
While the security forces imposed a tight siege on the oil base by air and by land, 30 Algerian workers and 15 foreigners of different nationalities were recruited by the security forces at about 11 a.m. yesterday to flee from the battalion “Signatories Attack”, who were evacuated by helicopters of the Popular National Army flying in the area and were rushed to Ein Amnas hospital.
Meanwhile, Abu Al-Baraa, the leader of the kidnapped group, warned the Algerian security authorities against any military operation to liberate his Western hostages. He demanded the lifting of the siege imposed on his fighters in order to withdraw to their strongholds before negotiations with the concerned parties. He demanded that they be provided with 20 cars to pay with sufficient fuel and a safe passage leading to the financial borders. However, the Algerian authorities did not bow to their demands.
Immediately after the announcement of the death of Abou Al Baraa, the spokesman for the “bloodshed” battalion confirmed that Algerian helicopters had started bombing the place where the hostages were being held and that the bombing had resulted in the injury of two Japanese hostages, the gravity of which had not been determined. He added that Rawhara had attempted to move some of the hostages to a safe place through their company cars, but Algerian aircraft had bombed vehicles and killed an unspecified number of hostages and their kidnappers.
At about 3: 30 p.m., immediately after the bombing by military aircraft of the two hijackers, a large number of hostages managed to escape from the site of the base, which was estimated by security sources to be 180 Algerians.
The special units of the army began, around 4: 00 pm, special units of the National Gendarmerie in the operation to storm the compound where the seven Western hostages are being held. A spokesman for the western hostage takers announced to the news agency Minkshoh that there were violent bombing sounds behind the explosion: Algerian soldiers supported by units on the ground started an attempt to storm the compound by force. Army forces also fired on the two pushing cars that tried to flee, with an unspecified number of people on board.
For its part, Norway stressed that the safety of Norwegians is most important. While the British Chief Minister stated immediately after the incursion and bombing operation carried out by the Algerian army that he would have preferred to inform Algeria before it carried out the operation.
Washington expressed its concern and asked Algeria to provide clarification regarding the operation carried out by its army units.
The only source for all the international media was a Mauritanian site called the news agency Naqashet, which was in contact with one of the kidnappers. The latter informed the site after the PAN operation that they still held hostages, helped understand and blow up the petroleum base in case of another intervention by the Algerian army's special units.