Mali Siege; 27 dead as all hostages freed, says Interior Minister

Mali’s Interior Minister, Salif Traore, has said that all hostages held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, have been freed. At least 27 people died today after 170 people were taken hostage at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali in West Africa, according to a diplomatic official briefed on the incident.

Malian special forces entered the hotel after Islamist gunmen stormed the building shooting and shouting “God is great!” in Arabic.

The US-owned hotel is popular with foreign businesses and airline crews.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but al-Qaeda affiliated militants have previously carried out attacks in the Sahel based country.

Elombah.com had reported that gunmen attacked a five-star hotel in Mali’s capital Bamako on Friday and held 170 hostages. 

Attackers shouting “Allahu Akbar” opened fire outside the Radisson Blu Hotel in the centre of the capital before storming it.

Speaking to Al Jazeera by phone from Bamako, business owner Garba Konate said a group of attackers showed up about 0700 GMT.

Reports said they drove up in vehicles bearing diplomatic license plates, thereby gaining easy access. 

“About 10 gunmen arrived early in the morning and shot all the guards in front of the Radisson,” Konate said. 

Another witness said he helped a wounded guard to safety. 

“I started hearing gunshots coming from the hotel,” said Ibrahim, 28, who works at a cultural centre 40 metres away.

“Soon after I saw one of the guards running out, injured… The security guard told me the shooters were so quick that he doesn’t even know how many came in,” he told Al Jazeera. 

Automatic weapon fire could be heard from outside the 190-room hotel where security forces set up a security cordon.

Witnesses said several hostages were released by the attackers after reciting versus from the Quran.

Idrissa Sangare, a local journalist at the scene, told Al Jazeera Malian special forces, French troops, and UN soldiers were working together in front of the hotel.

“We don’t know who carried out the attack because the operation is still going on,” Sangare said. “We’re hearing sporadic gunfire. There are a lot of injured people inside the hotel I’m being told – more than 40 people.”

UN officials were holding a function at the hotel, he reported. 

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