The African Union (AU) on Tuesday (January 22nd) promised a strong response to the deadly Algeria terror attack, PANA reported on Tuesday (January 22nd).

"The involvement of six nationalities shows this has become a truly multi-national affair. Africa has to respond," Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said ahead of the AU summit this week in Addis Ababa.

AU chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also condemned the killing of the hostages at the In Anemas gas complex, saying that the "odious act" at the week-end had confirmed AU concerns over the spread of terrorism in the Sahel-Saharan region.

The upcoming AU summit will focus on boosting counter-terrorism co-operation between African states. The AU is reportedly considering a three-point plan: training of extra forces to combat growing Islamist terror threats, expanding counter-terror laws and improving information exchanges between governments.