Mali hotel attack: '170 hostages seized' in Bamako

[Tawnyowl]

Mali hotel attack: '170 hostages seized' in Bamako

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

 

Security forces exchanging fire with attackers.

Air France has 12 crew in the hotel.

12-13pm -have been extracted now.

Gunmen shouted Allahu Akbar as they entered the hotel.

No info British Citizens are in the hotel.

Govt here monitoring things closely.

140 Guests 30 staff hostage.

It must be hell as fighting ongoing.11-48 am

 

Two hostages who could recite Koran released.

Special forces are entering hotel and have managed to release some hostages

Unclear how deep they have entered.

Ongoing situation.

 

LIVEAfrica Live: 'Hostage taking' in Mali capital

BBC News coverage of Mali attacks This page automatically updates

170 people 'taken hostage' in Mali hotel

Malian special forces 'storming hotel'

Three people said to have been killed

Hotel says there are two attackers

French, Chinese and Turkish citizens in hotel

10 Chinese citizens are in the hotel.

20 Indian citizens

A obvious target

Security and intelligence some saying are weak.

Pictures emerging of security and special forces in the hotel.Clear some are dead 11-56 am

80 hostages freed.

Attackers going from room to room.

Attackers rammed security barriers.Talk of the car having Diplomatic Plates.

Nobody clear how many attackers 2-4 up to 10 being mentioned.

Floors being cleared one by one.Sporadic gunfire.

Turkey has air crew there about 6 i think i heard.

Rumours they have escaped.

French Troops providing logistics.And i believe are there.But unclear of this.

3 hostages dead.

Mali a deeply unstable country.It is reported.

110 people whether freed by forces or escaped themselves is now being reported.

Leaving perhaps 60 or so left.

Rumours the attackers were speaking English.Not confirmed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-34815762

 

17:47

Thomas Fessy has been reporting from outside the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali.

 

He says that:

 

"It took seven hours from the beginning of the attack to get all the guests out of the hotel an hour ago, and now the area is totally cordoned off.

 

"But the big question is how many attackers were there - we've heard between two to a dozen.

 

"This is all still unclear."

 

Rescued hostages were led away from the hotel by Malian security forces:

Catch up and live coverage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-34815762

 

 

CNBC Now 20m20 minutes ago

THE LATEST:

-DJ reports Mali hostage situation is over, 27 dead including 5 attackers

-Pres. Obama monitoring events

A fluent situation.Hard to get 100% facts.And live coverage.

 

UNITED NATIONS United Nations peacekeepers saw some 27 bodies on two separate floors of a luxury hotel in Mali's capital Bamako that was attacked on Friday, a U.N. official told Reuters, citing preliminary information.

The peacekeepers saw 12 corpses in the basement of the hotel and another 15 on the second floor, the official said on condition of anonymity. He added that the U.N. troops were still helping Malian authorities search the

 

Mali state television reports no more hostages held by Islamic State http://bigstory.ap.org/urn:publicid:ap.org:4debb9d37ce1415994f0c96b2f05a323 …

 

Gunmen 'still holding out'

Posted at 18:15

Mali's security ministry has told Reuters that gunmen are still holding out in the hotel they attacked early this morning:

 

"The attackers no longer have hostages. They are dug in in the upper floors. They are alone with the Malian special forces who are trying to dislodge them," spokesman Amadou Sangho said.

 

RAW: Authorities escort hostages out of Mali hotel

http://www.kptv.com/clip/12018554/raw-authorities-escort-hostages-out-of-mali-hotel

 

How did attackers get diplomatic plates?

Posted at 18:32

Mali based French journalist François Rihouay told BBC World news a big unanswered question now is how the attackers got hold of a black 4x4 car with diplomatic number plates.

 

The hotel gardener witnessed attackers enter the grounds of the hotel in a car with a diplomatic license plate.

 

UN Chief Says Mali Peace Plan Must Stay on Track http://dlvr.it/CnxTFT

 

Two militant groups say jointly responsible for Mali attack

| Reuters: BAMAKO Islami... http://bit.ly/1OW3IGG

 

U.S. Military Played No Direct Role in Mali Crisis, Official Says http://nyti.ms/1kLh6Rc

Well that has now changed.

 

1 US CITIZEN KILLED IN MALI HOTEL ATTACK, SENIOR STATE DEPT. OFFICIAL SAYS

Family of American killed in Mali attack releases photo of 41-year-old New Jersey native http://abc7.la/1XfydGv

[citizenB]

Four things to know about Mali

 

 

In case you're not familiar with this vast West African country, here are a few important things to know:

•In January 2013, France sent troops to Mali to fight radical Islamists, who had captured vast swathes of territory in the country's north.

•One of the towns captured by the al-Qaeda linked Islamists was the ancient desert city of Timbuktu, a historic centre of Islamic learning, 1,000km (600 miles) north of the capital Bamako. Its name has come to be used in the West as a synonym for a place which is very, very far away.

•Between 1200-1600, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, producing around half of the world's gold in the 14th Century. It remains Africa's third largest gold producer.

•Mali is renowned worldwide for having produced some of the stars of African music, like Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate. Its world-famous Festival in the Desert has not been held for the past three years due to insecurity in the north.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-34815762