Algeria assessing siege mistakes - FM

PanARMENIAN.Net - Algeria's foreign minister has said his government is assessing the mistakes made in a hostage crisis at a Saharan gas plant in which many foreign workers were killed by Algerian military strikes, Belfast Telegraph said.

Mourad Medelci said that Algeria needs to reinforce security for multinationals working there after Islamist extremists raided the plant and seized the hostages last week.

Speaking in Davos, Switzerland, he said the attack was not targeting Algeria but "investors ... and the foreigners who work there." It killed at least 37 hostages and 29 militants.

He acknowledged that Algeria, which has grappled with internal extremist violence for years, needs international help to combat terrorism.

Algeria's decision to refuse foreign help and send the military to fire on vehicles full of hostages drew widespread international criticism.