80 hostages freed as special forces storm Mali hotel

20 November 2015 01:13 pm

Eighty hostages held by Islamist gunmen have been freed from a luxury hotel in Mali's capital as government special forces moved floor by floor to clear the building, Mali's state broadcaster and a security source, Reuters reported.

“The attackers are still inside. We're hearing gunfire from time to time,” said a witness outside the Radisson Blu hotel.

Meanwhile, Daily Mail (UK) reported that armed jihadists have killed at least three people in a deadly shooting rampage.

Automatic weapons fire has been heard on the seventh floor of the 190-room hotel, where it is thought as many as 10 militants have been going floor to floor and taken 140 guests and 30 members of staff hostage.

No group has claimed responsibility for the hotel attack, which is frequently used by Air France crew, although Al Qaeda affiliated militants have previously carried out attacks in Mali.