U.S., U.K. defense chiefs bemoan hostage deaths

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (foreground) appears with British Defense Minister Philip Hammond during a joint press conference in Lancaster House, London, on January 19, 2013. / LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON The U.S. and British defense chiefs said Saturday the hostage crisis in Algeria ended with more deaths, but that details remained unclear. They blamed the militants who seized the natural gas complex in the Sahara, and not Algeria's government for its rescue operation.

At a joint news conference in London, British Defense Minister Philip Hammond called the loss of life appalling and unacceptable.

"It is the terrorists that bear the sole responsibility," he told reporters.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said much remains "sketchy" about what happened at the remote Ain Amenas gas field.

"We know that lives have been lost," he said.

According to Algeria's state news agency, special forces stormed the complex Saturday in a "final assault" to end the four-day-old hostage crisis. The report didn't say whether any hostages or militants remained alive, and it didn't give the nationalities of the dead.

Asked how many Americans were in danger and what happened to them, Panetta said he knew Americans were still being held hostage earlier Saturday. On what happened to them, he said, "we need to get better information."

Panetta was scheduled to return to Washington later Saturday.

• Algeria: 7 hostages, 11 militants dead after raid
• At least one American dead in Algerian hostage crisis
• America's newest enemy: Moktar Belmoktar
• Official: U.S. military plane evacuating Algeria passengers
• Algerian forces storm hostage site in desert

[Krowster]

Has this happened before with France? Seems they don;t like to be told how to handle things, regardless of who dies.

[camillon]

terroist should not be allowed to rest there should be no safe heaven what the algerain goverment did was and is the right thing if you choose to work in these places you take your life in your own hand

[freewillybird]

They were going to blow up the whole complex anyway. that would have killed the hostages.

[camillon]

george bush ha ever one in both parties agred that sadam needed to go also he used wmds on the kurds hes own people

[freewillybird]

They were going to blow up the whole complex anyway. that would have killed the hostages.

[camillon]

they were not going blow up the complex or why would they try to escape