Malian security forces on Saturday stormed a hotel used by United Nations staff and freed four hostages held there by suspected Islamist militants, during a almost 24-hour siege.
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The alleged extremists barricaded themselves in the hotel and took “up to ten people” hostage, the Malian army and the country’s defense spokesmen said.
A source said that a Russian man “hidden inside the building” had supplied “useful information” to Malian forces during the siege. “The Russian is now in the same city [Sevare], at a UN camp”, Gorelov said in a telephone interview with Interfax.
Gunmen had burst into the hotel at around 7:00 am (0700 GMT) on Friday, according to the government.
At least 12 people total dying during the events at the Hotel Byblos in Sevare.
French army soldiers stand on armoured vehicles as they leave Bamako and start their deployment to the north of Mali as part of the “Serval” operations.
MINUSMA said it was relieved at the successful conclusion of the anti-terrorist operation, but reiterated its “strong condemnation” of the attack.
Sevare, a garrison town about 600 kilometres (375 miles) northeast of the capital, Bamako, is at the heart of Mali’s tourism industry and up until now had not been targeted in the attacks more common in the northern towns of Gao and Timbuktu. “But unfortunately we also found three bodies at the site”.
The four rescued hostages are said to be UN contractors.
Meanwhile the Russian embassy in Mali confirmed that there had been at least one Russian among the hostages in the Byblos hotel.
One Ukrainian guest reportedly escaped during an exchange of fire between the militants and the soldiers.
Northern Mali fell under the control of jihadis in 2012, but a French-led offensive ousted them in early 2013.
Friday’s attack, which took place well south of the Islamist militants’ traditional strongholds, highlights the continued threat posed by remnants of the insurgency that have stepped up their attacks on Malian soldiers and United Nations troops.
The hostages were UN employees and will be flown to the Malian capital Bamako, said UN spokeswoman Radhia Achouri.
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It is still unclear who was behind the attack but Islamist militants have claimed responsibility for other recent attacks in southern and central Mali, BBC reported.
