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UPDATE 2-UK's Cameron says Britons still at risk in Algeria

* Cameron "disappointed" Algeria gave no warning of rescue * Britons at risk, but number much lower than 30 people * Cameron condemns "savage attack", offers support By Mohammed Abbas LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday he was disappointed Algeria gave him no advance warning of an operation to rescue hostages held in a desert gas facility and warned that Britons caught up in the crisis were still at risk.

UPDATE 2-Two French hostages leave Algerian gas site -govt

* French minister says no news on two other hostages * Cannot say if hostage crisis over, information patchy * Catering worker hid for 40 hours away from kidnappers * 150 Algerian catering employees safe, company says PARIS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - French authorities are in contact with two French hostages who have left the desert gas facility in Algeria where they were being held by Islamist militants, France's Interior Minister Manuel Valls said on Friday.

WRAPUP 9-Foreigners still caught in Sahara hostage crisis

* Thirty hostages, at least seven foreign, killed - source * More than 20 foreigners still held or missing on Friday * Western governments not consulted, Algiers faces questions * 10 Japanese, 8 Norwegians, "less than 30" Britons at risk By Lamine Chikhi and Abdelaziz Boumzar

WRAPUP 1-Algeria ends desert siege, but dozens killed

* Thirty hostages, at least seven foreign, killed -source * Algeria says at least 11 militants dead, only 2 Algerian * Western governments not consulted, Algiers faces questions * Irish hostage says army blew up for jeeps of hostages * Fourteen Japanese among foreigners unaccounted for By Lamine Chikhi

Hostage's family says Algerian army attacked hostage jeeps

By Eamonn Mallie BELFAST, Jan 17 (Reuters) - A hostage who escaped unharmed from Islamist militants in Algeria on Thursday said the Algerian army bombed four jeeps carrying fellow captives and probably killed many of them, his brother told Reuters. Irishman Stephen McFaul, who was among dozens of Western and local captives seized by militants at an Algerian natural gas plant on Wednesday, told his family that he survived because he was on the only one of five jeeps not hit by Algerian bombs, according to his brother Brian.

UPDATE 2-Algeria crisis forces British PM to delay Europe speech

* Cameron warns Britons to expect "bad news" * Not told in advance of Algerian swoop on hostage-takers * PM calls off long-awaited speech on Europe By Michael Holden LONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron postponed on Thursday a much-anticipated speech on Britain's future role in the European Union because of the hostage crisis at an Algerian gas plant where Britons are believed to be among those held.

UPDATE 1-34 hostages killed in air strike by Algerian forces-ANI

NOUAKCHOTT, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Thirty-four hostages and 15 of their al Qaeda-linked kidnappers were killed on Thursday in an air strike by the Algerian armed forces, Mauritania's ANI news agency reported, citing one of the kidnappers holding captives at a desert gas field. The news agency, which has close contact with the group which has claimed responsibility for the mass kidnapping, said the army's attack came as kidnappers were trying to move their hostages in vehicles to a new location.

UPDATE 1-France says has faith Algerian govt can end crisis

PARIS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - France has total confidence in the Algerian government to resolve a standoff at a desert gas facility where dozens of Western and Algerian hostages are being held, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday. Le Drian said he would travel to Berlin in the next few hours, however, to talk to his German counterpart about France's military campaign against Islamist rebels in Mali, which the hostage-takers in Algeria say must end.
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