Bamako Radisson Blu hotel attack: Hostages ‘freed’ after Mali special forces storm building
Malian special forces have stormed a luxury hotel and seemingly brought an end to a hostage situation in the African state's capital, Bamako.
Officials say there are "no more hostages" at the 90-room Radisson Blu Hotel but it is reported that 18 hostages and two gunmen are dead.
A Belgian member of parliament, Geoffrey Dieudonne, has been confirmed among the dead.
Message de condoléances du parlement suite à la disparition tragique de M. Geoffrey Dieudonné au #Mali #Bamako : https://t.co/JLKgg5dtMt
— Parlement Fédération (@ParlementF) November 20, 2015
Al-Mourabitoun, an Al-Qaida affiliated group based in northern Mali, claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter.
An estimated 170 guests and staff were taken hostage early this morning.
Before the security forces made their move, some hostages were seen leaving the building amid reports that those who could quote the Koran were allowed to leave.
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The Rezidor Hotel Group, which owns the hotel, updated an earlier statement to say that its latest information suggested 124 guests and 13 employees were in the building when the effort to free them began.
The company's chief executive, Wolfgang M Neumann, released a statement saying: "I want to express my deep personal concern for all of the guests and employees affected by the terrible events which are happening today at the Radisson Blu Bamako Hotel in Mali.
"I speak on behalf of the entire Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in extending our deep sympathy to the families, colleagues and friends of all those touched by today's events."
Twelve Air France employees were among those taken hostage but were freed, the airline said. Five Turkish Airlines crew were also released, but two remained in the hotel at the time of the storming of the building, according to the company.
Chinese media reported that a number of Chinese nationals were among those in the hotel and a mobile phone video purportedly from one of the hostages has been posted on Twitter by the Xinhua news agency.
Cell phone video filmed by Chinese tourist taken hostage in Bamako, #Mali. The Chinese national is among 170 trappedhttps://t.co/0QSaS5wMSs
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) November 20, 2015
"Very early in the morning there was gunfire," a security source told the Reuters news agency.
The source also added that the gunmen had shouted "Allahu Akbar", "God is great" in Arabic, as they stormed the hotel. Various reports suggest there were 10 gunmen.
The British Foreign Office also confirmed it was monitoring the situation and advised UK nationals who are in Bamako to remain indoors and follow the instructions of the local authorities. It also advised against all but essential travel to the rest of Mali.
Northern parts of the country were occupied by Islamist fighters for much of 2012 before a French-led force drove them out.
Violence has continued, however, and five people were killed after an attack on a Bamako restaurant in March 2014, with responsibility being claimed by an Islamist group.