Hostages were 'human shields' in Algeria
2013-01-21 13:17
Manila - Islamic militants used foreign hostages as human
shields to stop Algerian troops aboard helicopters from strafing them with
gunfire, a Filipino survivor of the four-day bloodbath recounted on Monday.
Father-of-four Joseph Balmaceda 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 In Amenas gas plant in the Sahara Desert that
ended Saturday.
"Whenever government troops tried to use a helicopter
to shoot at the enemy, we were used as human shields," a clearly stressed
Balmaceda told reporters shortly after arriving back in Manila.
"We were told to raise our hands. The government forces
could not shoot at them as long as we were held hostage."
Balmaceda, nursing abrasions to his face and a loss of
hearing, said he was the only survivor out of nine hostages who were aboard a
van that exploded, apparently from C-4 explosives that the militants had rigged
to the vehicle.
He said two militants were transferring the nine hostages to
the central facility of the gas plant but the bomb went off during a clash with
Algerian security forces.
"The only thing left of the car was the back portion of
the Land Cruiser," said Balmaceda, 42.
"I was the only one who survived because I was
sandwiched between two spare tyres. That is why I am still here and can talk to
you."
Balmaceda said the two militants driving the vehicle were
also killed.
"But [other] hostage-takers were firing at me. It meant
there were other terrorists," he said.
Final assault
"So I crawled about 300m to where the government forces
were. And when I reached them I fainted. When I woke up I was in the
hospital."
The al-Qaeda-linked "Signatories in Blood" group
said it attacked the gas plant in retaliation for a French military operation
to evict Islamists from neighbouring Mali.
Most hostages were freed on Thursday in a first Algerian
rescue operation, which was initially viewed by foreign governments as hasty,
before the focus of public condemnation turned on the jihadists.
Balmaceda said the incident in which the vehicle exploded
occurred on the second day of the siege, apparently during the first rescue
operation.
The crisis ended on Saturday with a final assault by
Algerian troops.
Dozens of foreigners are believed to have died during the
siege, although authorities have yet to give a definite figure.
The Philippine government said earlier on Monday that six Filipinos
had been confirmed killed, and four were missing.
Balmaceda, who worked at the facility as a maintenance
technician for eight years, said the hostage takers had initially told him and
other Filipinos that they were mainly interested in killing French and US
nationals.
Problems
"We were told by the leader that: "This is not a
problem with the Philippines, we don't have a quarrel with the Philippines and
you will not be touched. We have problems with France and the Americans',"
he said.
However he said he was with four other Filipinos when he was
initially captured, and he had not seem them since. They were not in the van
that exploded.
Balmaceda said he was overjoyed to be back in the
Philippines and with his family.
"I am very very happy. I prayed to be reunited with
them. I couldn't die because I have four kids to take care of," he said.
