(NEWSER) – Some 35 hostages and 15 Islamist militants in the Algerian crisis have reportedly been killed by a helicopter attack from the Algerian government. Al-Jazeerareports that the dead include lead kidnapper Abu Al Baraa, and came as they were attempting to change locations today. The number of dead comes from the militants, but reports are conflicting: the AP earlier reported that 20 foreigners had escaped the gas facility, and that a total of 41 were being held, reports Sky News, including American, British, Japanese, French, and Norwegian nationals. But 150 Algerian workers were also being held, 30 of whom were earlier reported by Reuters to have been released. CNN reports that the militants had initially sought safe passage to Libya, which is 40 miles away from the facility, but an Algerian official said no dice: "We have received their demands, but we didn't respond to them."

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