People running for their lives
Malian soldier escorting people from the hotel
According to some reports, the gunmen
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."Local news reports claim the gunmen arrived at the hotel in a vehicle with a diplomatic pass. There have also been reports as many as five people were killed, while nearby residents have reported hearing on-going gunfire and explosions.
CNN reports that about three people, two Malian and one French, have been reported dead. Chinese, US and French citizens including military and aviation employees are among the hostages. The assailants may have spent the night at the hotel.
According to Reuters, some hostages, including those able to recite verses of the Qur’an, were later released. A security source told AFP that the gunmen were “jihadis” and entered the hotel compound in a car that had diplomatic plates.
Al Jazeera got the information from Idrissa Sangare, a local journalist, that Malian troops and UN forces were working together infront of the hotel.
“We don’t know who carried out the attack because the operation is still going on,” Sangare said.
Sangare said UN officials were having a function at the hotel. The hotel owner said it was “aware of the hostage-taking that is ongoing at the property and two persons have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees, the company said in a statement.
A security source told AFP the attack was unfolding “on the seventh floor, jihadists are firing in the corridor”. Additional reports from local media indicated an explosion may have been heard, with district residents reporting hearing on-going gunfire.
Meanwhile 80 hostages have been reportedly freed by Malian security services who assaulted the hotel, searching it room by room, as reported by the Independent.
- Rexinews
- CNN
- Independent
- Reuters
- The Independent
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