Islamist militants have attacked and occupied a gas facility in Algeria, killing a Briton and an Algerian and taking foreign workers hostage.

Norwegian, French, British, US and Japanese citizens are among them.

The attackers was repelled by police who had been escorting the bus, but a Briton and an Algerian national had been killed, he said. Two other British nationals, a Norwegian, two police officers and a security guard were also hurt in the firefight, he added.

Spokesmen for two groups believed to be led by Belmokhtar - the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in Blood Battalion - said they were behind the incident.

The latter told Mauritania's ANI news agency that it had taken more than 40 hostages, including seven Americans, two French citizens and two British citizens.

One of the workers told AFP news agency by telephone that the militants were demanding the release of 100 Islamists detained in Algeria.

Another worker told France's Le Figaro newspaper that the captors had mined the facility and demanded food, water and vehicles.

"We are holding the Algerian and French governments, and the hostages' countries, entirely responsible for their slowness in satisfying our demands, foremost of which is an immediate halt to the aggression against our brothers in Mali"

Originally posted by Bennogob
I didn't find any report on this here on ATS