Mali Hotel Attack: Two Suspects Arrested

Mali state tv confirmed photographs on Monday of two lifeless males that it stated have been the “authors” of an attack by Islamist militants on a luxurious hotel within the capital Bamako and appealed for info as to their id.

“It’s only after questioning that we will find out if the second suspect sells phone credit or is an accomplice”, the source said.

Tight security surrounds Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita as he visits the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015. The siege eventually ended hours later when commandos stormed the hotel and freed the hostages.

Officials had previously said that 19 people were killed in addition to the gunmen, but on Friday Amadou Sangho, spokesman for the interior ministry, said there were 20 victims from seven countries.

The attack has been claimed by the Al-Mourabitoun extremist group, which said it had worked in concert with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. There have also been indications that terror group Ansar Dine are responsible for these attacks.

According to Bloomberg Business, the two suspects are now detained in the Missabougou neighborhood in the city, said the officer in charge of public affairs at the presidency, Modibo Nama Traore.

The Al-Murabitoun group, an al-Qaeda offshoot led by one-eyed Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, said it was responsible for the attack.

Since the Radisson hotel attack, Malian forces have begun night patrols alongside United Nations forces and searched several private residences as part of a package of emergency measures.

In January 2013, the French soldiers succeeded in recapturing seized towns in Mali and driving terrorists into hiding.