At least 600 Algerian hostages have been released at a gas facility in eastern Algeria, where foreign and local hostages were being held, foreign media reported citing Algeria’s state news agency.

It also mentioned 4 foreigners, including 2 Britons, 1 French and 1 Kenyan, who were freed by soldiers on Thursday, January 17.

Earlier, the militants said that they were holding 40 foreign nationals, among them US, French, British, Japanese, Norwegian and Malaysian citizens.

Terrorists, who are believed to have links with al-Qaeda, called for an end to the ongoing French military intervention against Islamist rebels in neighboring Mali.