Seven victims, among 37 killed, have not been identified yet, he said, adding that five foreign workers were reported missing.

"We don’t know if the missing workers are dead or hidden somewhere in the gas complex, which stretches over 10 hectares," he said.

The natural gas complex of Tiguentourine employed 790 people, including 134 foreigners from 26 nationalities.

The Algerian PM also said that 29 hostage takers were eliminated and three captured.

The terrorists were from eight nationalities, namely Algerian, Tunisian, Egyptian, Malian, from Niger, Canadian and Mauritanian, he added.

The terrorist attack had been planned two months ago and the terrorist group was led by Bencheneb Amine and came from northern Mali.