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Mali hotel siege: Gunmen take hostages in deadly raid | Mali hotel siege: Gunmen take hostages in deadly raid |
(35 minutes later) | |
Gunmen in Mali have killed at least five people in an attack on a hotel in the central town of Severe, officials say. The dead include Malian soldiers. | |
The UN mission in the country said it believed "a member of the international personnel" was killed in the attack. | |
An unknown number of hostages are still being held at the Byblos Hotel, which is popular with UN workers. Two of the gunmen have also been killed. | |
Mali has been fighting Islamist rebels in the north for a number of years. | Mali has been fighting Islamist rebels in the north for a number of years. |
A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Mali said one of those being held was a Russian citizen. Earlier, officials in Kiev said a Ukrainian citizen was also believed to have been captured. | A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Mali said one of those being held was a Russian citizen. Earlier, officials in Kiev said a Ukrainian citizen was also believed to have been captured. |
Army spokesman Lt Col Diarran Kone told Associated Press that the operation to free hostages was ongoing. | |
In a statement, the UN mission in Mali (Minusma) condemned the "despicable attack in the strongest terms". | |
The mission said "shots continue to be fired sporadically at the hotel and in its vicinity". | |
The BBC's Alex Duval Smith in Mali says the town, which is about 600km (370 miles) north-east of the capital, Bamako, is a trading hub that serves the historic riverside city of Mopti. | |
A local resident told the BBC that it was the first time the city has been hit by an attack like this. | A local resident told the BBC that it was the first time the city has been hit by an attack like this. |
"Since the beginning of the fighting in Mali, we haven't experienced such a situation in Sevare. | "Since the beginning of the fighting in Mali, we haven't experienced such a situation in Sevare. |
"We would expect these things to happen in Gao or Timbuktu, but this the first time it has happened in Sevare," he said. | "We would expect these things to happen in Gao or Timbuktu, but this the first time it has happened in Sevare," he said. |
Al-Qaeda-linked militants have been fighting the army in northern Mali. | Al-Qaeda-linked militants have been fighting the army in northern Mali. |
France, the former colonial power in Mali, intervened in January 2013 to stop their advance south to the capital. | France, the former colonial power in Mali, intervened in January 2013 to stop their advance south to the capital. |
Militancy in Mali | Militancy in Mali |