AN Irishman was under threat of death last night as al-Qaeda vowed to massacre dozens of hostages unless France and the UK quit their terror purge in Mali.
The 36-year-old married dad-of-two was among the 41 foreigners seized at a desert gas field by fanatics in neighbouring Algeria.
They were being held at a desert gas complex — which the Islamic fanatics were last night threatening to blow up.
A Brit and a French national were murdered in yesterday morning’s terrifying attack.
An envoy from the north African country revealed grimly as troops there laid siege to the BP plant: “The terrorists are threatening to blow it up if the army intervenes.
“They are said to be extremely well-armed and carrying large amounts of explosives.”
One frightened hostage managed to make a phone call from the gas field near the Libyan border — confirming the maniacs had “mined” it.
We are not naming the Irishman, who is married and lives in Belfast, after requests from his family and the Department of Foreign Affairs amid fears it could jeopardise his safety.
Speaking to the Irish Sun last night, his father said: “This is very stressful on all of us. We are getting our information from the TV — we don’t know what’s happening out there.
“We’re waiting to hear more from the Department of Foreign Affairs and that’s all I can say.”
A family friend said the man’s wife was “in a bad way”.
The pal added: “She is just lost with all this.”
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore last night called for the Irish passport holder’s immediate release.
He said the Government “stands ready to use all of the resources available to us to ensure our citizen is released as soon as possible”. Troops held back from storming the BP complex as the terrorists warned of “disastrous” consequences.
Brutes calling themselves the Masked Brigade or ‘Signed In Blood’ Battalion were feared to be behind the outrage. Their leader is Mokhtar Belmokhtar — a senior al-Qaeda commander also known as Abu al-Abbas.
Last night his cohorts issued ultimatums as they referred darkly to the “safety” of captives, who also include five Brits, seven Americans, four Japanese and a Norwegian.
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