A terror attack at a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital has left at least 21 people dead, including two militants, and highlighted the world’s growing vulnerability to extremist violence.
A group of heavily armed and seemingly well-trained gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako.
They drove unchallenged into an inner compound, detonated grenades, opened fire at security guards and then took hostage about 170 people.
The assault began about 7 a.m., when two or three attackers with AK-47 rifles exited at least one vehicle with diplomatic plates and entered the hotel with guns
The attack, came as the hotel hosted diplomatic delegations working on a peace process in the landlocked country, a former French colony that has been battling Islamist extremists with the help of U.N. and French forces.
Who carried out the attack
A military official said the gunmen shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they began the attack. Al-Mourabitoun, an African jihadi group affiliated with al-Qaida, claimed responsibility in a message posted on Twitter.
International victims of the attack?
- China’s foreign affairs ministry had confirmed the four deaths and said four other Chinese citizens were rescued.
- The American victim was named as Anita Ashok Datar, an international aid agency worker from Maryland and former member of the Peace Corp. She was an Indian origin American
- India’s foreign ministry said 20 Indian nationals were among the hostages, and they were all known to be alive.
- Geoffrey Dieudonne, an administrative counselor for Belgium’s Parliament, died as a result of the attack.
About Mali
- Mali - officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa.
- Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa
- “Bamako” is the capital of Mali
- About half the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 (U.S.) a day.
- A majority of the population (55%) are non-denominational Muslims. [Non-denominational Muslims are Muslims who do not belong to a specific Islamic denomination, but accept Islam as a religion generally.]
