No Canadians among foreigners abducted during attack at Algerian oil field

OTTAWA – A Foreign Affairs spokeswoman says they believe no Canadians are among dozens of foreigners kidnapped after al-Qaida-linked militants attacked a natural gas complex in Algeria today.

Two foreigners were killed during the attack and 41 others, including at least seven Americans, were taken hostage.

At least one Canadian was reported to be working at the complex, which is operated by energy company BP, Norwegian company Statoil and the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach.

Statoil spokesman Lars Christian Bacher says the company had 13 Norwegian employees and a Canadian on the site and two of them have suffered minor injuries.

A militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in revenge for Algeria’s support of France’s operation against Malian rebels with ties to al-Qaida.

Algeria had long warned against military intervention against the rebels in northern Mali, fearing the violence could spill over its own long and porous border.

_ With files from The Associated Press.