“We can not exclude bad surprises”, he said. At least 20 people, including one American, were killed along with two gunmen during the more than seven-hour siege, a Malian military commander said.
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A three-day mourning period will commence on Monday.
Heavily armed Islamic extremists seized dozens of hostages Friday at a Radisson hotel, but Malian troops, backed by US and French special forces, swarmed in to retake the building and free numerous terrified captives.
A Malian military official has said at least three people are confirmed dead in the attack and that more than 100 hostages are believed to be held. In addition, he said five people were injured, including two police officers.
The guests included visitors from France, Belgium, Germany, China, India, Canada, Ivory Coast and Turkey. Apparently it’s an attempt to take hostages. A few of the hostages, mostly Indian, Chinese and Algerian, were freed by the gunmen when they proved they were Muslims by quoting Qoran verses. Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reported from outside the hotel on Saturday.
“Around 06:30 in the morning, I heard multiple gunshots outside my room, and there was smoke in the hotel corridor and my room”.
Special forces – including Malian, French and two USA soldiers who also happened to be in the area – staged a dramatic floor-by-floor rescue, ending the siege after about nine hours.
The Islamists were largely ousted by a French-led military operation launched the following year, but large swathes of Mali remain lawless and prone to attacks. “China expresses indignation and strongly condemns this savage act”, he said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the “horrific terrorist attack”, suggesting the violence was aimed at destroying peace efforts in the country.
About 40 French special police forces played a support role, France’s national gendarme service said.
A group linked to Al-Qaeda have said they carried out the attack.
Al-Mourabitoun is the organisation of Mokhtar Belmokhtar.
A group of men had driven to the hotel in a auto with diplomatic plates, while others came on foot, hotel security sources and Mali’s national television said.
Though Traore had earlier said as many as 10 attackers were involved, he said Friday night that there may have been only two gunmen, both of whom were killed. They forced a door open and shots were heard.
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The jihadist group, known as the Mourabitounes, was formed in 2013 after Belmoktar left al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and fused with a Malian militant group.
