PM's fury as Algerian hostage rescue turns into bloodbath

The hostage crisis in Algeria ended in further bloodshed last night as Prime Minister David Cameron warned the country to brace itself for "bad news".
A botched rescue attempt to free the captives held by armed Islamic militants left at least 30 hostages dead, including two Britons, with the fate of other UK nationals unknown.

The Prime Minister, who had to abandon a landmark speech on the EU to deal with the crisis, is said to be fuming after warning Algeria not to go in there "all guns blazing."

David Cameron and other Western leaders had urged the country to negotiate with the kidnappers after reports surfaced that the hostages had explosives strapped to their chests.

However when the gunmen started making demands, the military stormed the BP gas plant at the remote In Amenas gas field, in the Sahara Desert.

Abominable Army helicopters bombed vehicles carrying both the captives and kidnappers around the base, leaving dozens of hostages and 11 militants dead. Engineer Stephen McFaul, from Belfast escaped and told how hostages had their mouths taped and he had explosives hung from around their necks.

He also said the Algerian army bombed four jeeps carrying fellow captives.

In a phone call the 36-yearold told his family he only survived because he was on the only one of five jeeps not hit by Algerian bombs.

His brother Brian said: "They were moving five jeep-loads of hostages from one part of the compound. At that stage they were intercepted by the Algerian army.