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Politics: White House

White House condemns Algerian hostage-taking

January 17, 2013 | 2:52 pm | Modified: January 17, 2013 at 2:55 pm
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Photo - This April 19, 2005 photo released by Statoil via NTB scanpix, shows the Ain Amenas gas field in Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. As Algerian army helicopters clattered overhead deep in the Sahara desert, Islamist militants hunkered down for the night in the natural gas complex they had assaulted Wednesday morning, killing two people and taking dozens of foreigners hostage in what could be the first spillover from France's intervention in Mali. (AP Photo/Kjetil Alsvik, Statoil via NTB scanpix) NORWAY OUT
This April 19, 2005 photo released by Statoil via NTB scanpix, shows the Ain Amenas gas field in Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. As Algerian army helicopters clattered overhead deep in the Sahara desert, Islamist militants hunkered down for the night in the natural gas complex they had assaulted Wednesday morning, killing two people and taking dozens of foreigners hostage in what could be the first spillover from France's intervention in Mali. (AP Photo/Kjetil Alsvik, Statoil via NTB scanpix) NORWAY OUT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is condemning the taking of dozens of hostages, including several Americans, from an oil plant in Algeria by militants linked to rebel Islamists in Mali.

Militants claim that 35 hostages were killed Thursday, after Algerian military helicopters strafed the area during an attempt to free those being held. They say seven hostages survived.

White House press secretary Jay Carney won't confirm the status of the Americans or whether the U.S. offered to help the Algerian government with its raid on the energy complex.

Carney says the administration is monitoring the situation closely, is concerned about reports of killings and is in contact with the Algerian government.

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