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Gunmen attacked a luxury hotel frequented by foreigners inMali‘s capital Bamako early on Friday and are believed to be holding up to 170 hostages
The raid targeted the Radisson Blu hotel, located just west of the city center in a neighborhood that is home to government ministries and diplomats.
Reports have it that some hostages, especially those who could recite the Koran have been released
Northern Mali was occupied by Islamist fighters, some with links to al Qaeda, for most of 2012. Although they were driven out by a French-led military operation, sporadic violence continues.
“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,” the security source said.
Reuters reports that witnesses in the area said police had surrounded the hotel and were blocking roads leading into the neighborhood.
The U.S. Embassy tweeted that it was “aware of an ongoing active shooter operation at the Radisson Hotel,” and instructed its citizens to stay indoors.
An Islamist group claimed responsibility for the death of five people last March in an attack on a restaurant in Bamako popular with foreigners.