Malian security forces are hunting three suspects connected to the attack on a hotel in the capital, Bamako, on Friday, in which 19 were killed.
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In the wake of the tragedy Mr Keita announced a 10-day state of emergency and said a three-day period of mourning would commence from Monday. On Tuesday, Putin promised to hunt down militants responsible for the airplane bombing over Sinai, conducting intensified air strikes versus militants in Syria, after the Kremlin concluded a bomb had downed the plane.
The victims also included six Russians, three Chinese, two Belgians, an American and a Senegalese.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom’s extreme denunciation and condemnation against this terrorist act.
The lone American killed was Anita Datar, a former Peace Corps volunteer who worked in global health and worldwide development. About 40 special police forces also played a supporting role, France’s national gendarme service said. All 20 guests from India were evacuated as well, said Vikas Swarup, spokesman for India’s Foreign Ministry.
The assault began around 0700 GMT on Friday, when gunmen pulled up at the hotel at same time as a auto with diplomatic plates and starting shooting their way inside, taking guests and staff hostage.
“It’s very scary. It’s as if Bamako has become a war zone”, said local teacher Oumar Keita.
President explained the barbarity of the assault “just stiffens our resolve to fulfill this challenge”. “We will stand with the people of Mali as they work to rid their country of terrorists and strengthen their democracy”. Nothing changes in Mali.
Al-Mourabitoun was founded by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an Algerian who had left AQIM – and who, as NPR’s Tom Bowman reports, “was believed killed in a US airstrike back in June”. The group said it wanted fighters freed from Mali’s prisons and a halt on attacks against northern Malians.
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The United Nations force in Mali took over responsibility for security in the country from French and African troops in July 2013, after the main towns in the north had been recaptured from the militants. Since then, Mali has seen periodic attacks such as the one in March this year, where armed assailants shot five people at a popular Bamako restaurant.
