Islamist militants reportedly kidnap several foreigners in AlgeriaJanuary 16, 2013 - 16:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Islamist militants in eastern Algeria are reported to have abducted several foreigners, in what the UK Foreign Office says is a "terrorist incident", according to BBC News. At least one person has been killed in the attack on an oil facility at the town of In Amenas, local media say. It is unclear what nationalities were involved. The oil giant British Petroleum says there has been an incident at the installation it runs in partnership with Norwegians and Algerians. The abduction comes as French forces are preparing to attack Islamist militants in Algeria's southern neighbor, Mali. It is unclear if Wednesday's attack is linked. The UK Foreign Office said it "was seeking clarification from oil companies working in the area as to whether they have personnel involved". Early reports said five Frenchmen and a Japanese national had been seized, but a Western diplomat told the French news agency AFP those abducted included British and Norwegian staff. The In Amenas gas field is a joint operation by BP, the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, and the Norwegian firm, Statoil. A Japanese engineering company is a contractor on the project. The Japanese foreign ministry said it was gathering information on the incident. The Algerian army is reported to have launched an operation to free the hostages. Islamist militants in the region have in recent years seized a number of foreigners, mainly in Mali. Eight French nationals are currently being held across the region. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |