27 dead after terrorists storm Mali hotel

Malian security forces evacuate a man from an area surrounding the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako. Photo / AP

•Radisson Blu hotel under attack by jihadists armed with AK-47s and hand grenades in Malian capital of Bamako
•Up to 10 gunmen have taken dozens of hostages inside the Radisson hotel while 80 people have escaped unharmed
•Gunmen spoke in English and tested hostages' knowledge of the Koran before allowing Muslim hostages to leave
•Pentagon confirms that all 22 American nationals were rescued and unhurt following the hotel crisis
•US Special Forces led elite operation to clear the building one floor at a time amid deadly hostage crisis
•At least 27 people have been killed, including a Belgian diplomat and a French national, and the US embassy has urged American nationals to 'shelter in place' from attack

Special rescue forces storming the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali's capital Bamako this morning found scenes of horror: bodies piled up in pools of blood, the walls spattered red.

At least 27 people were killed by a group of jihadis which went on a deadly rampage on Friday, armed with grenades and automatic weapons, at one point holding some 170 people hostage.

Automatic weapons fire was heard on the seventh floor of the 190-room hotel, where it was thought as many as 10 militants had roamed through the building, looking for guests and members of staff.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed two New Zealanders were registered as being in Mali.

"There are no indications at this stage that any New Zealanders have been caught up in the incident," a spokesman said.

Among the victims were Belgian diplomat Geoffrey Dieudonne and a French national, with the initial death toll likely to rise.

Two of the extremists have been killed, and all the remaining hostages have since been freed - many running for their lives along the dirt track outside the hotel, which is popular with foreigners.

The Al Qaeda affiliated group Al-Mourabitoun, based in northern Mali, has claimed responsibility for the attack, which began when the armed militants entered the grounds in a vehicle witnesses claim had diplomatic plates.

The extremist group split two years ago from Al Qaeda's North Africa branch and is led by Moktar Belmoktar. The group said it wanted fighters freed from Mali's prisons and for attacks against northern Malians to stop.

The jihadist group, known as the Mourabitounes, was formed in 2013 after Belmoktar left Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and fused with a Malian militant group. The statement issued on Friday said the Mourabitounes had attacked in co-ordination with the 'Sahara Emirate' affiliated with Al Qaeda.

Several witnesses have claimed the gunmen entered through the gates of the hotel in a car with a diplomatic number plate before opening fire with AK-47s and throwing grenades inside the building. The gunmen spoke to the hostages in English, according to one who was freed.

'I heard them say in English 'Did you load it?, Let's go',' said Guinean singer Sekouba 'Bambino' Diabate, who was rescued by Malian security forces.

Mr Diabate added: 'I wasn't able to see them because in these kinds of situations it's hard. I woke up with the sounds of gunshots and for me, it was just small bandits who came in the hotel to claim something. After 20 or 30 minutes, I realised these are not just petty criminals.'

A body is removed from the Radisson Blu hotel, after it was stormed by gunmen during a attack on the hotel in Bamako. Photo / AP

The hotel's head of security, Seydou Dembele, said two private security guards had been shot in the legs in the early stages of the assault.

"We saw two of the attackers. One was wearing a balaclava. The other was black-skinned. They forced the first barrier," Dembele told Reuters.

Within minutes of the assault, police and soldiers had surrounded the hotel and were blocking roads leading into the neighbourhood.

Belgian diplomat Dieudonne was among two Malians and one French national who were confirmed dead following the siege.

Dieudonne, an official with the parliament of Belgium's French-speaking community, had been in Mali for a convention when he was killed in the terror attack.

"Mr Dieudonne, with other foreign colleagues, was in Mali to give a seminar for Malian parliamentarians. At this stage the exact circumstances of his tragic death are not yet known," the Brussels-based parliament said.

At least 27 bodies were counted by one UN peacekeeper as Mali's security minister confirmed the gunmen were holding no more hostages.

Members of special forces are seen inside the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako after the assault of security forces. Photo / Getty

Two workers for Turkish Airlines and six Chinese nationals are thought to be among the missing hostages.

Twelve members of the Air France crew were released from the hotel following the raid by special forces while five other Turkish Airlines employees had managed to escape from the hotel, Turkish officials confirmed.

"The whole of the Air France team is now in a safe place," an Air France statement said, indicating it was in 'constant contact' with its team of two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

US Special Forces reportedly assisted with the operation to clear the building of hostages and take out the armed jihadis.

The French intelligence service also provided logistical support for the operation and confirmed it had dispatched a unit of special forces, the French National Gendarmerie Intervention Group to Bamako.

British Special Forces are in Mali and were also expected to head towards Bamako to help with the terror operation.

Malian soldiers and special forces stand guard at the entrance the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako after the assault of security forces. Photo / Getty

"Our special forces have freed hostages and 30 others were able to escape on their own. We have sealed all the exit points of the hotel, so be assured none of the hostage takers will be able to escape." Mali's Security Minister Salif Traore told AFP.

"A group of Islamist gunmen involved in the storming of a luxury hotel in Mali's capital, Bamako, continued to hold out against security forces on Friday even after the evacuation of all civilians from the building," a security ministry spokesman said.

"The attackers no longer have hostages. They are dug in in the upper floors. They are alone with the Malian special forces who are trying to dislodge them," spokesman Amadou Sangho said.

The Rezidor Hotel Group, the company which owns the hotel, released a statement, "extending our deep sympathy to the families".

"I want to express my deep personal concern for all of the guests and employees affected by the terrible events which are happening today at the Radisson Blu Bamako Hotel in Mali," said company CEO Wolfgang M Neumann.

"I speak on behalf of the entire Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in extending our deep sympathy to the families, colleagues and friends of all those touched by today's events."

"We have established dedicated phone lines to support the families of guests and employees, as well as a media inquiry line,' it added.

During the attack, the US embassy in Bamako urged its staff to seek cover, tweeting that all Americans in Mali should "shelter in place''.

Michael Skapoullis, who escaped the besieged hotel, told the BBC: "We live in a complex near the Radisson hotel. Every day I go to the [Radisson] gym from 6 to 8 in the morning.

Mali police walk outside one of the entrances to the Radisson Blu hotel's conference center after an attack by gunmen on the hotel in Bamako. Photo / AP

"Today, after 7-ish, it was extremely quiet, there were two people inside the gym. They left and I was a bit worried.

"We had the music on all the time at the gym so I didn't hear any gunshots. I left the gym and I tried to go in the lobby.

"I opened the lobby door slowly, slowly, and I saw bullets on the ground. So I closed the door of the lobby and I went door to door, I went back in the gym, and from the gym I left the hotel.

"Outside the hotel, there were police and military crew who escorted me and brought me to my house."

- Daily Mail