Malian soldiers and special forces stand guard at the entrance of the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital, Bamako, on November 20, 2015.
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Police in Mali say they are following “several leads” over Friday’s attack on a luxury hotel which left 19 people dead in the capital Bamako.
“While Mali might not have the same emotional significance to the French as Paris does, it is certainly an important part of the French military strategy”, he added.
Minister of Internal Security Colonel Salif Traoré said the gunmen burst through a hotel security barrier at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT), spraying the area with gunfire and shouting “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is great” in Arabic.
The assault began around 0700 GMT, when gunmen pulled up at the hotel and starting shooting their way inside, taking guests and staff hostage.
Malian security forces display flag belonging to the attackers on the Radisson Blu hotel.
“We are prepared to assist the Malian government in the coming days as it investigates this tragic terrorist attack”, he said. The statement said the Mourabitounes had attacked in co-ordination with the “Sahara Emirate” affiliated with al-Qaeda. Five had been freed by security forces, it said, although the fate of the other two was unknown. Both French and US military personnel were also on the scene.
The bloodshed in Bamako is the latest sign of deepening insecurity in the country. The council earlier unanimously endorsed a resolution urging nations to fight Islamic State.
It was claimed by Al-Mourabitoun (The Sentinels), an extremist group formed by notorious Algerian militant Moktar Belmoktar with links to al-Qaida and Ansar Dine.
Although the raid ended yesterday, officials admitted they were still hunting three terrorists thought to have been behind the attack. The family said of all her accomplishments, Datar was “most proud of her son”. “But it seems like an operation that could not have been done without help”. Belmokhtar’s death has been reported a couple of times, though never confirmed. Chinese President Xi Jinping condemned the killings of the Chinese citizens, and pledged that Beijing will strengthen cooperation with the worldwide community in fighting terrorism.
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According to Wang Yi, political counselor of the Chinese embassy in Mali, the rescued Chinese are in stable condition.
