Mali: Hotel siege claimed by al-Mourabitoun al-Qaeda affiliate ends with at least 18 dead
At least 18 dead bodies were found inside the Radisson Blu hotel in the Malian capital of Bamako on Friday after an attack that was claimed by an armed group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
While over 150 hostages were believed to have been held at one point during the siege, Mali’s Security Minister Salif Traore said no more hostages were being held at the hotel, which was attacked by gunmen also armed with grenades and subsequently stormed by Malian special forces. Two gunmen were killed in the subsequent government raid, according to the Malian military.
The final death toll is expected to rise, as United Nations peacekeepers saw some 27 bodies inside the hotel, according to a U.N. official who spoke to Reuters.
Al-Mourabitoun, a group based in northern Mali, posted a message on Twitter saying it was behind the attack on the hotel.