Top news coming in to a chilly San Francisco today, after the story of one of San Francisco's famous twins dying (See that article here: Breaking: One of SF's famous twins, Vivian Brown, dies (Video)) is about the hostages in Algeria. But some of those news reports on the hostages are conflicting.
News sources are saying that 20 of the hostages in Algeria have escaped. Some of them are Americans and some are Europeans. Here is what is being said, although, again, nothing has been confirmed:
Islamist militants were keeping dozens of people hostage deep in the Sahara desert in a natural gas plant.
As they tried to escape, some of the hostages got away. News of the escaping Americans and Europeans came from an official who would not give further details, only to say that 20 foreigners had indeed fled.
ABC 7 News in San Francisco says it's true that the Ain Amenas gas complex was attacked. That's where dozens of hostages were, indeed, being held. According to ABC 7 News in San Francisco:
"Militants attacked the Ain Amenas gas complex 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) south of Algiers on Wednesday, taking dozens of foreign workers hostage. Those being held included Japanese, Britons, French, Americans, Malaysians and Norwegians, among others."
"It's a terrible situation," says San Francisco resident, Alice Mendez. "I have been watching it on the news and those hostages, and their families back here, must be terrified."
Some reports say Algerian military helicopters fired on a gas complex and killed 35 foreigners along with 15 kidnappers. Among those was the leader of the kidnappers, Abou El Baraa. He is said to have been killed, according to ABC 7 News in San Francisco.
News reports say other kidnappers were also killed when they tried to leave the complex.
The Algerian government would not comment on the report. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm any of the information that has been sent out to news sources.
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Sources: ABC 7 News
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