(Rosenfeld Media/Creative Commons)

The ordeal started on Wednesday when employees at a BP natural gas field were taken hostage by terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda. The group behind the attack was Al-Mulathameen Brigade and their leader was Moktar Belmoktar, according to CNN. This act of violence occurred as a result of French action in Mali.

During the stand off, the Algerian military conducted multiple raids, all of which led to multiple deaths. As details continue to surface, Foreign Secretary William Hague stated that “‘…it’s actually too early to pass judgment on [the Algerian Military Operation],”’ according to CNN.

Aljazeera is reporting that 11 “terrorists” and seven hostages were killed in Saturday’s military attack. 

READ MORE: Defense Secretary Panetta Links Algeria Attack To Al Qaeda

Aljazeera is also reporting that British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said, ‘“The hostage situation has been brought to an end by a further assault by Algerian forces, which has resulted in further loss of life.’”

The President released a statement today about the situation in Algeria. He said, “Today, the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the families of all those who were killed and injured in the terrorist attack in Algeria. The blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out, and the United States condemns their actions in the strongest possible terms. We have been in constant contact with Algerian officials and stand ready to provide whatever assistance they need in the aftermath of this attack. We also will continue to work closely with all of our partners to combat the scourge of terrorism in the region, which has claimed too many innocent lives. This attack is another reminder of the threat posed by al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups in North Africa. In the coming days, we will remain in close touch with the Government of Algeria to gain a fuller understanding of what took place so that we can work together to prevent tragedies like this in the future.