Terrorists holding guests, staff hostage in Mali hotel

LONDON/BAMAKO: Gunmen went on the rampage at a luxury hotel in Mali´s capital Friday, holding170 guests and staff hostage in a suspected Islamist attack that has left at least three people dead.

Special forces are storming Bamako´s Radisson Blu and dozens of hostages have been freed, according to local television and security sources.

Also read: French, US Special Forces assisting in Mali hotel operation

Witnesses described "around a dozen" armed assailants, while security sources spoke of two or three "jihadist" attackers.

Latest from Bamako

According to the latest updates, gunmen were were still holding 125 guests and 13 employees hostage at the luxury Radisson Blu hotel, according to the hotel chain.

"We are closely following the hostage-taking incident," said the Rezidor Hotel Group.

"According to our latest information 125 guests and 13 employees are still in the building."

"Our highest concern is the safety of all our guests and employees in the hotel. We are in constant contact with the authorities."

A spokesperson for the group told AFP that the figure was the latest available, and took into account the number of hostages freed earlier.

Attackers came in diplomatic vehicles

The men are believed to have entered the 190-room hotel around 0700 GMT in a car with diplomatic plates. Many guests were in their rooms when the attack began.

Automatic gunfire was heard at the hotel in the city centre, with a security ministry spokesman saying at least three hostages had been killed. Their identities were not yet known.

Two freed female hostages told AFP they saw the body of a light-skinned man lying on the hotel floor.

Also read: Eighty hostages freed from Mali hotel

Reuters reported a freed hotel guest saying the attackers were speaking in English.

Hotel management issues statement

Two people have "locked in" 140 guests and 30 employees in an ongoing hostage-taking at the Radisson Blu hotel in the Malian capital Bamako, the hotel chain said in a statement on Friday.

"The Rezidor Hotel Group... is aware of the hostage-taking that is ongoing at the property today, 20th November 2015. As per our information two persons have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees," said the company.

"Our safety and security teams and our corporate team are in constant contact with the local authorities in order to offer any support possible to re-instate safety and security at the hotel," it added in a statement released in London.
The company is based in the United States.

Holiday makers from the world over stuck in Mali

Guests from around the world have been caught up in the hostage-taking, which comes a week after the Paris terror attacks in which 129 people from 19 different countries were killed.

India said 20 of its nationals were among the hostages while Xinhua, the state news agency in Beijing, said at least seven Chinese were involved.

Twelve Air France employees staying at the hotel were in a "safe place", the company announced, while Turkish Airlines said six of its staff were caught up in the attack.

Turkish Airline crew rescued

Turkish Prime Minsiter Davutoglu confirmed that five Turkish Airlines crew were rescued from the Mali hotel while authorities were in touch with two others present at the hotel.

Six Americans among those rescued

Six U.S. citizens are among the people who have been recovered from the Radisson hotel in Mali, Reuters reported citing a U.S. military spokesman.

Army Colonel Mark Cheadle, a spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command, also said that U.S. Special Forces were assisting in the incident in the capital city of Bamako.