Jihadists attack hotel in Mali, hostages taken.

[Dave *]

Reports online of a jihadist attack on a hotel in Mali. Up to 170 hostages taken, possibly including French military personnel and defence workers.

190-room luxury Radisson hotel in Bamako, Mali, West Africa, is under attack from jihadists. Shooting and blasts are heard, and a hostage situation is under way, a security source tells AFP.
RTL France is quoting Carlson Rezidor Group, the company owning the hotel, as saying that two people are holding 140 visitors and 30 hotel employees hostage.

Among the hostages are US, French and Chinese citizens, according to media reports. Some reports suggest they include French military, Air France employees and Thales [major electronic systems company working in defense and aerospace] personnel.

A Chinese guest at the hotel told China's Xinhua news agency via a mobile app that he was one of the hostages, the BBC reported.

Six Turkish nationals are also inside the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako.

"There are six Turkish Airlines personnel in the hotel," Reuters cited a Turkish official as saying.

Gunmen have reportedly let some hostages go, including those able to recite verses of the Koran, security sources told Reuters.

https://www.rt.com/news/322797-jihadists-attack-bamako-hotel/

Gunmen have launched an attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in the centre of Mali's capital, Bamako.

Two people have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees in "a hostage-taking situation", the hotel's owners said in a statement.

Police have surrounded the hotel, which the gunmen entered shooting, and shouting "God is great!" in Arabic, a security source told Reuters.

The US-owned hotel is popular with expats working in Mali.

• Mali attack: Live updates

A Chinese guest told China's state news agency Xinhua via a mobile app that he was among a number of Chinese citizens trapped there.

The security source has told Reuters that some hostages, including those able to recite verses of the Koran, are being freed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34877069

 

[arclight]

Mike has started a thread on this. "Isis at it again". ............... Mali in the subject header would have helped, Mike.

 

[CaveDweller]

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[viv1969]

Link

 

[kelack]

Closing duplicate