BP safety in spotlight once again after Algerian attack One source close to the company suggested BP said that security at In Amenas was provided by the Algerian authorities with a strong military presence. In a 2012 report, risk consultants Exclusive Analysis - recently acquired by IHS - warned that Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was likely to attack energy facilities in the Sahara within two years. "The greatest expansion of terrorist activity [in Algeria] is occurring in the south and the border areas, where AQIM factions based in northern Mali, such as Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), can penetrate the provinces of Illizi, Adrar, Tindouf and Tamanrasset to conduct kidnap for ransom and attacks on Algerian security forces," Firas Abi Ali, Deputy Head of MENA Forecasting wrote. Fellow risk consultants Maplecroft rank Algeria as one of 22 countries where there is an "extreme" risk of kidnapping. It is the 21st most risky out of 197 countries, according to Maplecroft's Kidnapping Risk Index. However, many of the world's biggest oil-producing countries are rated at even higher risk. Nigeria is ranked 3rd, Iraq 6th, Libya 12th and South Sudan 17th. A BP spokesman said: "Our absolute priority is the safety and security of our staff."