Following the rocket-propelled grenade attack on Statoil and BP’s In Salah gas plant gas plant on Friday's in Algerian by Islamic militants, the two companies have decided to remove staff from their two gas plants in the country.

Al Qaeda's North Africa branch had on March 19th 2016 claimed responsibility for the attack on the gas plant as part of its war on the Crusader interests everywhere. There were no casualties or damages but he attack had prompted the closure of the facility as a precaution, although Sonatrach had said that Algeria's gas production was not affected.

“This operation has destroyed your claims to have defeated 'terrorism' as you like to describe it. Even if your Western masters believed you were in control previously, how will you justify your position now?" the Islamist militant group said in a statement.

The army has been protecting Algeria's energy infrastructure, particularly since the attack on the In Amenas gas plant, also operated by BP and Statoil, in 2013 where 40 oil workers died.

Statoil has said it will transfer staff from the In Salah and In Amenas plants, alongside staff from its operations center at Hassi Messaoud.

“It will happen over the next few weeks. Those who are on rotation now will not be replaced when they finish their shifts. It's only been four days since shots were fired at In Salah. The production started again, but in the current situation we believe that this is the right decision to make," a Statoil spokesman told Reuters.

Anita Fatunji