Kidnappers of hostages in Algeria are demanding an exchange of their captives for an end to French and African military intervention in Mali, Mauritania's ANI news agency reported on Friday.

Citing sources close to kidnappers, ANI said they propose talks on a swap of hostages for French pullout from Mali. The captors also press for the release of their colleagues being jailed in the United States.

The conditions were listed after the Algerian special forces launched a raid on Thursday on a gas field compound to rescue the domestic and foreign workers detained by an armed group.

Some 650 hostages at a gas field in Illizi province in southern Algeria were freed, including 570 Algerians. More than half of the detained foreigners were released, according to the official APS news agency.