Mohammed Said, Algeria’s communications minister, confirmed that the charred corpses were found lying inside a heavily fortified compound at the BP-run facility.
Mr Said said that "the number feared dead will unfortunately be revised upwards," saying that searches would carry on "for a number of days."
The jihadists had strapped Semtex explosives around the torsos of many of their captives, threatening to blow them up at a moment’s notice.
And Obama said and did nothing, except to say that Al Qaeda has been vanquished. Tell that to the hundreds of family members whose loved ones died because they were "kuffar."
The Al Qaeda arsenal: Weapons, handcuffs and phones recovered from Algerian gas plant as one-eyed fugitive Mr Marlboro claims responsibility for hostage bloodbath Daily Mail, January 20, 2013
- Siege reaches climax after seven executed in final act of violence
- 'We in Al Qaeda announce this blessed operation', said one-eyed leader
- Three Britons confirmed dead - further three feared to be dead
- Among those feared to be dead include Garry Barlow from Liverpool
- Happened just as special forces soldiers storm desert gas facility
- All 11 remaining militants shot dead in a fierce gun battle
- In total, 32 kidnappers and 23 captives had died in the siege
- 22 British nationals have been flown back to the UK
By Ian Gallagher and Larisa Brown, Daily Mail
Five terrorists have been captured alive at the Algerian gas plant, security sources have confirmed, as officials uncovered a huge cache of weapons stashed by the militants.
The developments came after the >one-eyed master of terror, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, claimed responsibility for the hostage crisis which ended in a murderous bloodshed yesterday.
In a chilling video message,the militant Islamist leader, nicknamed 'Mr Marlboro' for his illicit cigarette empire, said: 'We in Al Qaeda announce this blessed operation.'
He said he was ready to negotiate with Algeria and Western countries if they stop bombing North Mali. His message came as 25 burnt bodies have been discovered inside a gas plant today.
Militant Islamist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar has said he is ready to negotiate with Algeria and Western countries if they stop bombing North Mali. The picture is taken from Sahara Media's website
A view of the weapons seized by the Algerian authorities at the gas plant. The pile, which included handcuffs and bullets, were shown to journalists in the town of In Amenas
Garry Barlow, 49, from Liverpool who was a systems supervisor on the plant and is feared to be among the British nationals who have been killed in the bloodshed
Three Britons were confirmed dead this morning and a further three feared to be dead, along with a UK national.
mong those feared to be dead is Garry Barlow, 49, from Liverpool, who was a systems supervisor at the plant.
A total of 22 British nationals have now been flown back to the UK to be reunited with their loved ones after being caught up in the horrifying ordeal which began in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Sahara Media did not display the video of Belmokhtar, 41, itself on its site and it was not immediately possible to verify the information.
'We in Al Qaeda announce this blessed operation,' Belmokhtar said in the video, according to Sahara Media.
'We are ready to negotiate with the West and the Algerian government provided they stop their bombing of Mali's Muslims.'
A huge cache of the weapons seized by the Algerian authorities following the siege yesterday has been shown to journalists in the town of In Amenas.
The weapons included handcuffs, bullets, hand grenades and assault rifle magazines.
he four-day siege reached its climax after seven workers were executed in a final, monstrous act of violence by their Al Qaeda-linked captors just as special forces soldiers stormed the desert gas facility to try to rescue them. Their nationalities are not yet known.
All of the 11 remaining militants – who had booby-trapped the complex with explosives – were later shot dead in a fierce gun battle.
The news that the siege had ended came as the first pictures emerged of the moment the militants took control of the BP plant in the Sahara. They show terrified workers kneeling in the sand with their hands in the air.
Last night the Algerian interior ministry announced that, in total, 32 kidnappers and 23 captives had died in the siege.
Moment of surrender: The terrifying first image of hostages being taken captive by Al Qaeda terrorists
In fear of their lives: Hostages put their hands up, in dramatic footage of their ordeal broadcast on Algerian TV
In action: A member of the Algerian special forces, also known as the kouksoul
The Algerian government today said more than 23 hostages have died and the new discovery of bodies means that number is likely to rise in the coming hours.
In the course of the stand-off 685 Algerian and 107 foreign workers were freed. Efforts are now under way to try to identify a number of burned bodies found by Algerian troops after the fighting ended.
Algeria's Ennahar TV reported that 25 bodies have so far been discovered inside the gas plant. An Algerian official said they were discovered by de-mining squads searching for explosives.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2265349/Algeria-bloodbath-Weapons-handcuffs-phones-recovered-Algerian-gas-plant-eyed-fugitive-Mr-Marlboro-claims-responsibility-hostage-bloodbath.html#ixzz2IXPEFkkb Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
