Mali Hotel Attack:
Dozens Dead, Including an American:
Dakar, Senegal:
According two New York Times: In a Mali hotel Randisson Blu on Friday morning heavily armed gunmen shouting "Allahu Akbar" stormed a Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, the capital of the West African nation of Mali, seizing scores of hostages and leaving bodies strewn across the buildings.
The gun man barreled past the hotel's light security early in the morning, confusing guards with fake diplomatic license plates, and bust into its glass door lobby with their guns blazing.
They started firing every where, " said a receptionist at at the hotel who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of rePrisals. '' They were shouting, "Allahu Akbar". They cut someone throat. " I hid in my office, he said, I saw four of them armed to the teeth."
United Nations:
United Nations:
officials said that at least 19 people were killed, plus two or three attackers, with bodies found in the basement and on the hotel floors. They noted that the security forces were still sweeping the building in search of bodies and evidence that would shed more light on the devastating siege.
According to American official one American was killed. At least a citizen of Belgian died in the attack. The nationalities of other victims were not clear.
The gunmen took "about one hundred hostages" at the beginning of the attack, said the Malian's Army Gen. Didier Dacko before soldiers sealed the perimeter and stormed inside, looking for the terrorists."
From early on, dozens of guests, including women children and older people, streamed out of the hotel after hiding in their rooms, many of them crying and barely clothed.
The attack unfolded with 125 guests and 13 employees inside. according to the operators of the hotel. the visitors had come from far and wide, including Europe, China, India, Turkey and Algeria. They included diplomats, business men, pilots and flight attendants.
By late afternoon, the sieges appeared to be over, and no were hostages were being held, said Col. Salif Traore, Mali's minister of interior security.
"We can confirm that the attack has ended White house said in a statement.
The siege in Mali, a former French colony, came only a week after terrorists with a assault rifles and suicide vests killed 130 people in attacks across Paris.
Who was responsible it was not immediately clear for the siege in Mali. Al Jazeera reported that it has received a recording asserting that an local militant group, Al Mourabitoun, had carried the assault in conjunction with Al Qaeda's religion affiliate, though the claim could not be independently confirmed.
According to American official one American was killed. At least a citizen of Belgian died in the attack. The nationalities of other victims were not clear.
The gunmen took "about one hundred hostages" at the beginning of the attack, said the Malian's Army Gen. Didier Dacko before soldiers sealed the perimeter and stormed inside, looking for the terrorists."
From early on, dozens of guests, including women children and older people, streamed out of the hotel after hiding in their rooms, many of them crying and barely clothed.The attack unfolded with 125 guests and 13 employees inside. according to the operators of the hotel. the visitors had come from far and wide, including Europe, China, India, Turkey and Algeria. They included diplomats, business men, pilots and flight attendants.
By late afternoon, the sieges appeared to be over, and no were hostages were being held, said Col. Salif Traore, Mali's minister of interior security.
"We can confirm that the attack has ended White house said in a statement.
The siege in Mali, a former French colony, came only a week after terrorists with a assault rifles and suicide vests killed 130 people in attacks across Paris.
Who was responsible it was not immediately clear for the siege in Mali. Al Jazeera reported that it has received a recording asserting that an local militant group, Al Mourabitoun, had carried the assault in conjunction with Al Qaeda's religion affiliate, though the claim could not be independently confirmed.
