Dozens of hostages and kidnappers have been killed in a helicopter air strike by Algerian armed forces.
Sources said this morning there are at least 34 hostages and 14 kidnappers dead.
Reports indicate one kidnapper is holding captives at a desert gas field.
The conflict between French military and Islamist extremists in Mali escalated Wednesday, when armed attackers in unmarked trucks siezed the internationally managed natural gas field in Algeria and took the hostages.
The U.S. military has not gotten involved in the conflict but has promised support of French and African efforts to restore security.
Sources: Cox Media Group, Associated Press
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