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| Gunmen take 170 hostages in attack on hotel in Mali capital | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gunmen have attacked a Radisson hotel in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and are holding 170 hostages, the hotel company has confirmed. | |
| “Very early in the morning there was gunfire. Apparently it’s an attempt to take hostages. The police are there and are sealing off the area,” a source said. | |
| Ten gunmen are involved, a security source told Reuters. | |
| The raid targeted the Radisson Blu hotel, located just west of the city centre in a neighbourhood that is home to government ministries and diplomats, the sources said. | |
| In a statement the US-based Rezidor group, which owns the hotel, said 140 guests and 30 staff were being held hostage. | |
| “The Rezidor Hotel Group... is aware of the hostage-taking that is ongoing at the property today, 20th November 2015. As per our information two persons have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees,” the company said in a statement quoted by AFP. | |
| “Our safety and security teams and our corporate team are in constant contact with the local authorities in order to offer any support possible to re-instate safety and security at the hotel,” it added. | |
| The US embassy in Bamako said in a series of tweets that it was aware of an “ongoing shooter situation” and advised its citizens to seek shelter. | The US embassy in Bamako said in a series of tweets that it was aware of an “ongoing shooter situation” and advised its citizens to seek shelter. |
| SECURITY MESSSAGE (1/4) The Embassy is aware of an ongoing active shooter operation at the Radisson Hotel. | SECURITY MESSSAGE (1/4) The Embassy is aware of an ongoing active shooter operation at the Radisson Hotel. |
| SECURITY MESSAGE (2/4) The U.S. Embassy staff has been asked to shelter in place. All U.S. citizens should shelter in place. | SECURITY MESSAGE (2/4) The U.S. Embassy staff has been asked to shelter in place. All U.S. citizens should shelter in place. |
| Northern Mali was occupied by Islamist fighters, some with links to al-Qaida, for most of 2012. Although they were driven out by a French-led military operation, sporadic violence continues. An Islamist group claimed responsibility for the death of five people last March in an attack on a restaurant in Bamako popular with foreigners. | |
| This is a breaking news story, please check back for further updates | This is a breaking news story, please check back for further updates |