Armed gunmen holding 170 people hostage in Mali hotel

UPDATE: At least three people are confirmed to be dead after armed gunmen stormed a hotel in Bamako, Mali

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by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

***UPDATE: ***

***It has been reported that, of the 170 hostages taken, 80 have now been released. ***

Hostages who managed to escape have claimed that the gunmen (who reportedly have been heard speaking in English) allowed those who could recite the Koran to leave.

*** Three have been confirmed dead.***



Meanwhile Air France has cancelled all flights to and from Bamako today.



Some media outlets have claimed that all flights between France and the USA have also been suspended, following reports of an Air France plane to San Francisco making a U-Turn and returning to mainland Europe.

Explosions and gunfire have been heard during a hostage situation at a hotel in Mali’s capital Bamako - and it is understood that grenades and machine guns were used during the siege.

According to reports, almost 200 people are being held captive at the Radisson Blu hotel.

"They have locked in about 140 guests and about 30 employees," a spokesperson for the hotel, owned by the Carlson Rezidor group, told NBC.

"So the hotel is locked down and there is no possibility to go out or come in."

In a release, the US embassy said there was an "active shooter operation at the Radisson Hotel."

It advised people to contact their families and monitor local media for updates.

Meanwhile Malian army commander Modibo Nama Traore has told the Associated Press that as many as 10 gunmen were involved in the assault.

He also claimed the men shouted “Allah Akbar” before they fired on the guards and took hostages.

The hotel, which was reportedly ’90% full’ at the time of the attack, is said to be the most secure in the country.

Used frequently by Westerners, French newspaper Le Monde is reporting that the hotel is regularly used by Air France staff, and that a number of the hostages are Air France employees.

They added that the crew’s rooms were on the same floor in which the explosions were initially heard.

At the moment it is reported that nine people have been killed in the attack, although these reports are currently unconfirmed.

The hotel siege comes just seven days after Paris was targeted during a series of coordinated attacks, killing 129 people.

We will bring you more on this story as it develops.

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