27 killed in Mali hotel siege

A spokesman for the US Africa Command said American military forces stationed in Mali had helped to secure the scene of the attack.

In the statement posted on its official website, the company expressed deep sorrow and sent heartfelt condolences to the families of the casualties and strongly condemned the terrorists’ brutality. The French newspaper Le Monde quoted the Malian security ministry as saying at least three hostages had been killed. The ministry decried the deaths of three rail executives as an “inhuman crime”.

It is thought that at least two attackers were killed in the shoot-out after Malian and French special forces stormed the worldwide hotel but as many as 10 individuals were believed to have attacked the compound on Friday.

In a terrorist attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamko, Mali earlier today.

China vowed this week to bring to justice those responsible for killing one of its citizens after Islamic State said it had killed a Chinese captive.

A man who worked for a Belgian regional parliament and an American aid worker were also killed.

There were no more hostages held at Radisson Blu hotel, said Mali security minister Salif Traore, hours after gunmen stormed the hotel and held 170 people hostage.

Authorities are now “actively pursuing” at least three people over the attack in the former French colony, one security source told AFP.

Two of the gunmen, who took 150 visitors and staff hostage, were killed in a raid by Malian special forces led by French counter-terror troops and “assisted” by 25 United States special operations forces.

The Islamist group Al-Murabitun said it had cooperated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to carry out the attack.

Northern Mali has been unstable since it fell to Tuareg separatists and Islamist extremists following a military coup in 2012.

Although Diabate and several others were rescued from the siege by security forces, it has been reported that a few were freed by attackers after demonstrating they were able to recite from the Koran, while others were able to escape.