Irishman freed in Algeria hostage crisis

The Irishman who was being held hostage at a gas facility in eastern Algeria has been freed.

It is understood that Stephen McFaul contacted his wife and Irish diplomats this afternoon to say he was safe and well.

Mr McFaul indicated he was in another part of the complex to the one attacked by Algerian forces earlier today.

The 36-year-old was born in Belfast and lives in Co Down.

There were reports earlier from a Mauritanian news agency that 34 hostages were killed in air strikes by the Algerian military.

ANI news agency, which has been in constant contact with the militants, also said 14 kidnappers had been killed in the air strikes.

A kidnapper told ANI that seven hostages are still being held. He said they were three Belgians, two Americans, one Japanese and one British citizen.

A local source has told Reuters that 180 Algerian hostages managed to escape while some are still being held.

Reuters also reported that a local source had said six foreign hostages and eight of their captors were killed by a military strike on a vehicle being used by the kidnappers.

The Algerian army has surrounded the remote desert gas pumping station in In Amenas where the kidnappers were holding the remaining foreigners captive.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera television carried a similar report, citing its own sources.

ANI quoted a spokesman for the kidnappers as saying they would kill the rest of their captives if the army approached.

Governments around the world are holding emergency meetings to respond to one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades.

An Algerian security source earlier said 25 foreign hostages had escaped the besieged compound, including two Japanese.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has been speaking to the Algerian Foreign Minister, and urged him to use "great care, caution, subtlety and patience" in dealing with the situation.

Algeria has refused to negotiate with what it said is a band of about 20 fighters.

A group calling itself the "Battalion of Blood" claimed responsibility for the attacks.

It said it seized 41 foreigners, including Americans, Japanese and Europeans, after storming the pumping station and employee barracks before dawn yesterday.

The attackers have demanded an end to the French military campaign in Mali, where hundreds of French paratroopers and marines are launching a ground offensive against rebels a week after France began firing on militants from the air.

Minister for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton earlier described the crisis as a very worrying situation.

Speaking following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels she said: "There are unconfirmed reports of some sort of military action but we don't have any confirmed information.

"It's a very unclear, obviously a very worrying situation. What we're concerned about is the safety of the hostages, we're certainly very hopeful they will be safe and secure.

"The situation is very unclear at the moment."

Asked if there was any clear connection between the hostage situation and French intervention in Mali, Minister Creighton said: "There's no clarity at all about any such links, it's important to say that the extraordinary foreign affairs ministers meeting has been dealing with the question in Mali.

"Obviously the situation in Mali is very volatile and has very serious consequences for the whole region."

She said the Government had not yet considered whether or not to contribute personnel to the training mission, which will number around 450 including support staff.

She said the mission was similar to the EU training operation for Somalia, which is taking place in northern Uganda under the command of an Irish officer, Col Mike Breary.

"We'll take a decision on that very shortly," she said.

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