Africa, Hostage | featured news

All eyes are on Algeria following the hostage crisis at a BP gas facility that left at least 37 hostages -- and dozens of militants -- dead. And while we're uncovering details of what happened at the remote desert complex at In Amenas and why, we must also scrutinize what this crisis tells us about security in North Africa, or the Maghreb.

Algerian special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert on Saturday in a "final assault" that ended a four-day-old hostage crisis, according to the state news agency and two foreign governments. At least 19 hostages and 29 Islamist militants have been killed.

An Al Qaeda-linked group has attacked and taken control of a natural gas field partly owned by BP in southern Algeria, taking at least three Americans hostage, a senior intelligence official tells Fox News.

Somali pirates who have been holding a hijacked ship for nearly two years killed a Syrian hostage crew member and wounded another to protest delayed ransom payment, a pirate leader said....

Four Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates off East Africa were shot and killed by their captors Monday, the U.S. military said, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks plaguing the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean for years.

Nigerian security forces said Saturday they rescued 10 hostages kidnapped this week, including six foreigners, and destroyed a key militant camp in the heart of Africa's biggest oil industry region.