20 November 2015

Jihadist gunmen screaming 'Allahu Akbar' launch grenade and shooting rampage in hotel in Mali and take 170 people hostage

Jihadist gunmen screaming 'Allahu Akbar' launch grenade and shooting rampage in hotel in Mali and take 170 people hostage before freeing a handful who could recite the Koran

Radison Blu hotel under attack by jihadists in Malian capital of Bamako
Up to 12 gunmen have taken 170 hostages inside the Radisson hotel
Gunmen tested hostages' knowledge of the Koran and allowed Muslim hostages to leave the hotel
US embassy urges American nationals to 'shelter in place' from attack
Air France crew have frequently stayed at the Radisson Blu hotel
At least three people have killed including one French national

By TOM WYKE and JAY AKBAR FOR MAILONLINE

Armed jihadists have killed at least five people in a deadly shooting rampage and taken 170 hostages at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali.

Automatic weapons fire has been heard on the seventh floor of the 190-room hotel, where it is thought as many as 12 militants have taken 140 guests and 30 members of staff hostage.

Witnesses described how the gunmen allowed some hostages to leave safely after they proved they were able to recite verses of the Koran to the militants.

No group have claimed responsibility for the hotel attack, which is frequently used by Air France crew, although Al Qaeda affiliated militants have previously carried out attacks in Mali.

Armed jihadists have gone on a deadly shooting rampage inside the Radisson Blu hotel (pictured) in the centre of Bamako, Mali

Terrified civilians run for their lives through the streets of Bamako after escaping the hotel siege

Several witnesses claimed that the gunmen were seen entering the hotel in a car with a diplomatic number plate.

Some hostages have been freed from the hotel after they proved to they could recite verses from the Koran.

Six workers for Turkish Airlines are thought to be among the hostages as well as up to seven Chinese nationals.

Three people have reportedly been killed, two Malians and one French national.

'It's all happening on the seventh floor, jihadists are firing in the corridor,' a security source said.

The Rezidor Hotel Group confirmed it is 'aware of the hostage-taking that is ongoing at the property today.'

'As per our information, two persons have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees,' the statement said.

'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.

The US embassy in Bamako has urged embassy staff to seek cover from the attack, tweeting that all Americans in Mali should 'shelter in place'.

Chaotic scenes near the Radisson Blu hotel, where 170 people have been held hostage by gunmen in Mali

Military officers prepare outside the hotel, where as many as 12 gunmen have taken hostages

Heavily armed Malian troops take up position over the Radisson Blu hotel in the country's capital Bamako

The horrific terror attacks comes just a few days after ISIS gunmen massacred 129 people on the streets of Paris.

Suicide bombers targeted the Stade de France, cafes and restaurants as well as taking dozens of hostages at a death metal concert at the Bataclan theatre.

The co-ordinated attack was later claimed by ISIS, leading to a mass police hunt for one of the surviving gunmen and the ringleader of the deadly attack.

Fears remain that the attack in Bamako may be linked or inspired by the Paris attack, where French nationals were targeted for the government's decision to carry out air strikes against ISIS.

Mali, a former colony of France, has been battling several terror groups, predominantly located in the north of the country.

French special forces have been assisting the Malian army in their long standing counter-terrorism operation against militants from Ansar ad-Din, al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Tuareg rebels.

Army officers direct several of the hotel guests to safety. Witnesses describe how the gunmen tested each guest about their knowledge of the Koran

Witnesses described hearing at least one explosion coming from the hotel, which is a popular choice for foreign dignitaries visiting Mali

No group have claimed responsibility for the attack but Al Qaeda affiliated militants have previously carried out attacks in the Sahel based country

French troops have been working in Mali as part of a joint anti-terrorist operation in the troubled Sahel region

Mali has been battling with jihadi militants, predominantly in the north of the country

MALI'S LONG BATTLE WITH TERRORISM AND REBELLION

In 2012, a major rebellion against Mali's government heralded the rise of terrorism across the country.

It was led by the nomadic Tuareg rebels and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), a military organisation partly made up of former Libyan soldiers.

The MNLA took control of the north and declared independence for the unrecognised state of Azawad.

But Islamist groups including Ansar Dine and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), who helped MNLA defeat the government, turned on the indigenous Tuareg and seized the north with the goal of implementing sharia law in Mali.

The French army launched Opération Serval in January 2013 and recaptured most of the north a month later.

Islamists continued to operate in the north and began spreading into central and southern areas at the start of this year.

On 6 March, extremists shot dead five people, including two Europeans, in a restaurant in the country's capital Bamako.

The dead bodies were strewn outside a popular nightclub in the city after the attack which took place overnight.

The Foreign Office has advised against all travel to northern parts of Mali, where Islamist groups are said to operate, and all but essential travel to southern areas including Bamako.

It warns there is a 'high threat of terrorism and kidnap' in areas north of Mopti but 'the threat exists throughout the country'.

The FCO warning adds: 'Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners.'

It adds the situation in the country remains unstable and travellers should take several days worth of food and water 'in case disturbances take place'.

The shooting in Mali follows a nearly 24-hour siege and hostage-taking at another hotel in August in the central Malian town of Sevare.

Four soldiers, five UN workers and four attackers were killed in the deadly attack, thought to have been carried out by Al-Qaeda linked militants.

Islamist groups have been waging attacks in Mali despite a June peace deal between former Tuareg rebels in the north of the country and rival pro-government armed groups.

Northern Mali fell in March-April 2012 to Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist groups long concentrated in the area before being ousted by an ongoing French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

Despite the peace deal, large swathes of Mali remain beyond the control of government and foreign forces.

More to follow...

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20 November 2015