Rashid Naili was one of the lucky ones.  A Tunisian worker at the natural gas plant in Algeria that came under attack by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists last week, Naili was taken with his colleagues and held in a cramped meeting hall until they were freed by the Algerian army. While they waited, they heard the exchange of gunfire and suspected “that someone died.” It was later confirmed that the bloody four-day siege ended in the death of at least 80 people. More than a dozen foreign workers are still missing.

Rashid Naili was one of the lucky ones.  A Tunisian worker at the natural gas plant in Algeria that came under attack by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists last week, Naili was taken with his colleagues and held in a cramped meeting hall until they were freed by the Algerian army. While they waited, they heard the exchange of gunfire and suspected “that someone died.” It was later confirmed that the bloody four-day siege ended in the death of at least 80 people. More than a dozen foreign workers are still missing.

 Rashid Naili, can you tell us about yourself?

I was born in the desert village of Kasr Ouled Debbab in 1982. I am a petrochemical engineer and have been married for a year and a half. Four years ago, I was recruited by an oil company in Algeria.

I did not imagine I would experience such a situation. These were unforgettable, terrifying and difficult moments. Throughout these last four years, there have not been any kind of intrusions or clashes between armed groups and the Algerian army in the region where I worked.

Where were you when the attack took place? What do you remember about the incident?

On Wednesday, January 16th I was in the place reserved for the residence of the oil facility staff. Suddenly at exactly a quarter to six, there was a hail of bullets coming from all over the place. No one dared to go out and we all stayed in our houses until we discovered that a terrorist group had seized the residence. We were around 500-600 workers, and all of us were taken, especially the Europeans. As for me, I stayed with the Algerians and we remained detained in a meeting hall for a whole day. At the time, we heard the exchange of fire between the armed group and the army.

We were swinging between life and death in an alarming situation that lasted until Thursday, during which time we were totally isolated from the outside world. It was an unparalleled state of chaos and horror. We were too many people in a very tight place, which made it difficult for us to breathe and it was exaggerated by our feeling of fear due to increased and continued gunshots. Somebody said: “Someone has just died.” But we did not know whether or not that was true. Fierce clashes continued on Thursday and we kept hearing the sound of machineguns and realized then that we were in grave danger.

Being almost sure of your destiny and desperate of getting freed, what did you decide to do?

We decided to go out of the narrow enclosure where we were detained since we would die whether we stayed or left. However, when we went out, surrendering to the fait accompli, we were surprised by the Algerian army getting ready to storm the hall to free us. They transported us to a safe place away from the armed clashes. I did not wait for long and was quick to communicate with members of the army field leadership, telling them I am a Tunisian and explaining all the details. Before taking us to In Aménas, 1,300 kilometers away from the capital Algiers, we had medical examination and received necessary medical and psychological care. A few hours later, I finally realized that I became safe from the armed group and amongst the army, which treated me like it treated my Algerian colleagues. It was necessary to testify and make a statement about the horrifying incident to the investigation team of the Algerian army special units. I inferred that the armed attack targeted workers and engineers of European and American nationalities to take revenge on their countries for many reasons.

How was your return to Tunisia?

On Friday morning, we left In Aménas and headed to Algiers. Then, the Tunisian Ambassador and Consul in Algeria called me to check on me. Moreover, the company kept calling me asking about my condition, and the Algerian authorities exerted all possible efforts for me to arrive in Tunisia. Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali called me as well and asked about my health and psychological condition and welcomed my safe return back home. I feel as if I was returning from hell.

Have you decided to continue working in the gas treatment facility in Tiguentourine?

What is important is that I am safe now, thank God. I only want some rest with my family. I am very pleased to see them once again and to see my house, which I did not expect I would come back to at all. I will resume my work since I trust the Algerian government and the army’s ability to protect the oil facilities and their staff.

You appeared on national television without showing your face and you still refuse to have your picture taken. Why?

I have decided to go back to my work after few weeks; thus, I will have to travel to Algeria and in the desert. Revealing my face in pictures will make me subject to reprisals by terrorists, especially that local media have spoken about some details of the statement I made to the investigation team of the Algerian army.