Two Suspected Gunmen Who Stormed Mali Luxury Hotel Are Dead

In his first interview since Friday’s attack that left 27 people dead, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said that despite early speculation, his intelligence service suggested that another group, the Macina Liberation Front, was responsible for it. The Al-Murabitoun militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack, allegedly carried out in collaboration with al-Qaeda’s “Sahara Emirate”.

Ms Fazekas barricaded herself in her room at the Radisson Blu hotel as gunmen roamed the corridor outside, and even attempted to come after her – by knocking on the door. Mali’s government will need to deal more effectively with the extremist groups inside its territory.

Ahead of the three days of national mourning declared by Mali which started yesterday, ECOWAS Chairman and Senegal’s President, Macky Sall, visited Bamako on Sunday to show support.

“They are defendants. Individuals suspected of having connections with the two terrorists (who attacked the resort)”, said a source close to the security ministry.

Security vehicles remained deployed around the Radisson Blu hotel Monday. The victims included six Russians, three Chinese, an American, a Belgian, a Senegalese and an Israeli.

One of the rescued hostages, celebrated Guinean singer Sékouba “Bambino” Diabate, said he had overheard two of the assailants speaking English as they searched an adjacent room.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said the “horrific terrorist attack” was aimed at destroying peace efforts in the country. Witnesses to the attack say the men entered the Radisson Blu firing their weapons and went into the hotel’s crowded restaurant, where guests were eating breakfast.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Belmokhtar, one of the world’s most-wanted men, was indeed “likely” the brains behind the assault.

“People are not being vigilant. So I waited until I didn’t hear any noise and I ran from the kitchen and escaped the hotel through a window”, he said.

Mali has been torn apart by unrest since the north fell under the control of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012. “They have lost a lot of leaders in the last three years because of the French military intervention”.

France has more than 1,000 troops in its former colony, a key battleground of the Barkhane counter-terror mission spanning five countries in Africa’s restive Sahel region.