ALGIERS, Algeria — Algeria said it did not sustain heavy losses and that only eight soldiers suffered minor wounds during a four-day siege of a gas plant by al-Qaida-linked militants who took dozens of foreigners hostage.
It was the first acknowledgment by the government of any military casualties in the standoff at the Ain Amenas plant, where 37 hostages and 29 militants died.
The militants, armed with explosives and automatic weapons, had threatened to blow up the entire complex. Algerian troops tried twice to end the crisis, first by firing from attack helicopters before finally launching a ground assault.
Front Section, Pages 8 on 01/24/2013