'We were used as human shields,' Filipino survivor says

Six Filipinos were killed during the siege on a gas plant in Algeria last week, the Philippine government said on Monday, as a returning Filipino survivor recounted how Islamic militants used hostages as human shields.

Foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters that at least four Philippine nationals were still “still unaccounted for” in the wake of the firefight between Algerian troops and the militants. Sixteen Filipinos also caught up in the crisis were confirmed to be alive.

“The deaths of the six Filipinos were a direct result of the hostage-taking incident in the area and mostly by gunshot wounds and the effects of the explosions,” Hernandez said.

The Philippine government had previously said it did not know if any Filipinos had been killed during the 72-hour siege at the In Amenas gas plant, deep inside the Sahara Desert, that ended on Saturday.

Algeria’s Ennahar television reported that the bodies of 25 hostages were found by security forces combing through the plant on Sunday, and that five hostage-takers had been captured alive.

Joseph Balmaceda, a father of four, said he saw one Japanese hostage draped with explosives, while he and others had their hands bound with cable ties, during the ordeal at the gas plant.