Unconfirmed reports this afternoon are claiming that an Algerian helicopter attack has killed 34 hostages and 15 kidnappers in the Sahara gas plant standoff. A number of hostages, who were being held by Islamist captors in the gas facility in eastern Algeria, have also escaped, according to local media reports. Details are currently unclear but some reports claim 30-40 Algerians and 15-25 foreign nationals have escaped.

The raid, and subsequent hostage-taking, would appear to have been motivated by France's military intervention in neighbouring Mali. Foreign Secretary William Hague today accused the attackers of “cold-blooded murder”. Several British workers are thought to be still in the gas field complex, as reports in The Times suggest the SAS has been put on stand-by for a rescue effort. Mr Hague described the siege as a "dangerous and rapidly developing situation" and has dispatched a specialist response team to Algeria to back up Britain's embassy staff. He told the BBC: "This is an absolute tragedy, of course. In this dangerous and rapidly developing situation the next of kin have been informed. "The Government's Cobra emergency system is in full operation. I have spoken to our ambassador in Algeria and dispatched a rapid deployment team to Algeria to strengthen our embassy there and help them in their work. "Excuses being used by terrorists and murderers who are involved - there is no excuse for such behaviour, whatever excuse they may claim. "It is absolutely unacceptable, of course. It is, in this case, the cold-blooded murder of people going about their business. So there is no excuse, whether it be connected to Libya, Mali or anywhere else." The Algerian government is thought to be in talks with United States and France over the possibility of bringing in an international force to break the siege, unnamed security officials have claimed. The Algerian interior ministry said the attack began when three vehicles carrying heavily armed militants ambushed a bus carrying employees from the gas plant to the nearby airport. Initially they were driven off, but they then headed for the main complex.