Filipino death toll from Algeria siege rises to 8

MANILA, Philippines – An 8th person from the Philippines has been confirmed killed in last week’s siege by Islamic militants of a remote natural gas plant in Algeria, the government said Friday, January 25.

The 8th Philippine fatality is a male, said Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez, without naming the victim.

“His body was positively identified by our team in Algeria. We still have one unaccounted for,” Hernandez told AFP.

The Philippine government has said 12 other Filipino workers survived the 72-hour hostage drama in the north African desert, including 4 still recovering from their wounds at an Algiers hospital.

Dozens of foreigners were killed during a 4-day standoff that ended in a bloody showdown with Algerian commandos last Saturday, January 19, with reports of summary executions. – Rappler.com