One dead as gunmen ‘attempt to kidnap’ Western hotel guests in Mali

At least one person was killed in an attack early on Friday by unidentified gunmen on a hotel in central Mali frequented by United Nations peacekeepers in the West African nation, a witness and a military spokesman said. “The attackers are still inside the hotel”, the resident of the town of Sevare, who asked not to be named, said.

Martine Latraye, owner of a small guesthouse in Sevare, told the BBC that the attack started at about 07:30 local time (07:30 GMT). She would not give their nationalities, but said they will eventually be flown to the Malian capital Bamako.

Friday’s assault also came just days after 11 Malian soldiers were killed on Monday in an attack on their camp in the Timbuktu region claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM).

The raid targeted a hotel on the road to the airport in Sevare, which services the larger town of Mopti.

Northern Mali fell under the control of jihadis back in 2012 but a French-led offensive ousted them from power in early 2013.

Jihadist attacks have long been concentrated in Mali’s north, but began spreading at the beginning of the year to the centre of the country, and in June to the south near the borders with Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

“We heard someone shouting into a loudhailer that everyone should go inside”.

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