& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Algeria hostage siege not over

Algiers under fire over raid; confusion reigns over casualties

Agencies
Algeria came under mounting international criticism yesterday as fears grew for dozens of foreign hostages still unaccounted for after a deadly commando raid against their Islamist captors at a desert gas field in the worst international hostage drama for years.
The state-run APS news agency said special forces had freed more than 670 hostages, among them 573Algerians and around 100 foreigners during the Thursday raid but still 30 foreigners remained missing, reported AFP.
The army was trying to free those foreigners still held at the complex near the border with Libya, it said adding that 12 hostages, including foreigners, along with 18 terrorists were killed in the operation.
Earlier, a spokesman for the militants told the Mauritanian ANI news agency that 35 hostages and 15 militants had been killed in Thursday's operation. One Algerian official said the figures were "exaggerated".
However, Mauritania's ANI news agency, quoting the
abductors, al-Qaeda-linked "Signatories in Blood", said Islamists hostage-takers are still holding seven foreigners.
The sources gave a breakdown of three Belgians, two Americans, a Japanese citizen and a Briton as still being held by the hostage-takers.
The gunmen want to swap the American hostages for Islamist prisoners held in the United States, the ANI news agency reported earlier, quoting sources close to group leader Mokhtar Belmokthar. The abductors have also demanded negotiations for an end to French intervention in Mali, the report said.
The United States refused to strike deal with the terrorists.
"The United States does not negotiate with terrorists," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters when asked about the proposal, declining further elaboration.
Despite requests for communication and pleas to consider the hostages' safety, the UK, Japan and US said they had not been told in advance about the military assault.
Japan's foreign ministry summoned the Algerian ambassador to demand an explanation.
The Islamist militants had seized hundreds of hostages at the field deep in the Sahara on Wednesday, purportedly to avenge a French-led offensive in neighbouring Mali.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also said he was "disappointed" not to have been told in advance about the rescue bid, and said "significantly" fewer than 30 Britons remained at risk at the field, operated jointly by BP, Norway's Statoil and Sonatrach of Algeria.
Japanese officials were meanwhile cited as saying by the Kyodo news agency that at least 14 Japanese nationals were still missing. At least three managed to escape.
Norway said eight of its nationals were currently unaccounted for. One is being treated at a hospital in In Amenas, while four escaped unharmed.
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said two French workers were safe. It was unclear if another two were involved, he added.
The Irish government confirmed that one of its citizens was free. Five Americans had survived and left the country, US officials told ABC News. Austria also said one of its nationals had been released and was safe.