Libya's former rebels from the town of Zintan on Thursday denied an Algiers newspaper report of having sold arms to Islamists who seized an Algerian gas plant last week.

"We deny the information published by the Algerian newspaper Echorouk accusing Zintan revolutionaries of having sold weapons used by terrorists" at the In Amenas plant, said the military council of Zintan, southwest of Tripoli.

Japan's government Thursday confirmed a tenth victim of the Algerian hostage crisis, the highest death toll of any nation, as friends and colleagues of those who perished paid tribute at a makeshift altar.

The announcement came as the seven Japanese men who survived after Islamist gunmen laid siege to the desert gas plant headed home aboard a government plane that was also carrying the bodies of nine victims.

A senior Japanese official met Algeria's prime minister on Wednesday to press for an explanation of the gas plant siege, as Tokyo confirmed the deaths of two more nationals, taking its toll to nine.

Senior Vice Foreign Minister Shunichi Suzuki arrived aboard a government jet that is to repatriate the bodies of those known to have been killed in the hostage crisis, along with the seven Japanese who survived.

Japan grieved Tuesday over its greatest loss of life at militant hands since 9/11 as the carnage in Algeria provoked soul-searching for a people who have been relatively immune to Islamist attacks.

There was blanket media coverage of the news that at least seven Japanese nationals had been killed in the Algerian hostage crisis, with the respected business daily Nikkei describing Japan's anger as "overwhelming".

Algerian authorities were searching on Tuesday for five foreigners still missing from a bloody hostage crisis at the In Amenas gas plant, which was slowly being brought back on stream, a security source said.

"Still no news about the five missing foreigners," the source told AFP, after the final assault launched by Algerian special forces on Saturday against the Islamist militants who seized hundreds of hostages when they overran the plant.

Algiers said on Monday that 37 foreigners of eight different nationalities, as well as an Algerian, were killed by hostage-takers in a well-planned attack on a remote gas plant.

Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said five other foreigners were still missing and that several of the hostages had been executed "with a bullet to the head" as the four-day crisis ended in a bloodbath on Saturday.

Algeria warned other nations to prepare for a higher body count after a four-day siege of a gas plant by Islamist militants ended in a bloodbath, amid fears as many as 50 hostages may have died.

Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal was expected to unveil the final grim tally at a 1330 GMT press conference on Monday.

The United States has warned of a "high threat" of terrorism or kidnappings in Algeria and authorized family members of embassy staff to depart following a deadly hostage crisis.

"On January 19, 2013, the Department of State authorized the departure from Algiers for eligible family members following the attack on the In Amenas BP Oil facility," the State Department said in a statement.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday the end goal of France's military action in Mali was to retake control of the whole country from Islamist militants who have seized the north.

"The goal is the total reconquest of Mali. We will not leave any pockets" of resistance, Le Drian said on France 5 television.

Islamists holding foreigners hostage at a gas plant in the Algerian desert executed nine Japanese captives during a 72-hour stand-off with the military, Algerian witnesses said on Sunday.

"In all nine Japanese were killed," one witness identified as Brahim told AFP a day after special forces swooped on the In Amenas facility to end the deadly siege.