At least 22 Indians taken hostage along with 150 others, in the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, the capital of Mali, were evacuated by the special forces by Friday evening. All 150 hostages are safe.
Spokesperson of the Malian foreign ministry, Mamadou Ouattara, told The Hindu from Bamako that the military operation is fast unfolding as the government is trying to regain control over the hotel. “The special forces have been evacuating some people and the Indians have also been evacuated,” Mr. Ouattara said underlining that the situation continues to be fluid as a massive fight is going on in the hotel between the special forces and the hostage takers.
The assault on the hotel began with the special forces of Mali blocking all the exit points from the hotel. “We have tried to negotiate and got at least 80 hostages freed in the first attempt. Later on some hostages ran away from the hotel and were rescued,” Mr Ouattara told over phone.
>>Helpline number for Indians in Mali : +223 76409258
Live updates:
21:16 IST: Malian official tells BFM TV that there are no more hostages being held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Bamako.
(TV grabs taken from Mali TV ORTM of security forces inside and outside the Radisson Blu Hotel. Photos: AP)
20:51 IST: Too soon to say whether Mali situation related to Paris attacks — U.S. envoy
20: 48 IST: Six Americans recovered from Mali hotel under attack, Obama briefed.
20:27 IST: Al-Qaeda affiliated group claim Mali attack.
20:08 IST: All the 20 Indian hostages safely evacuated: MEA
Good news! All 20 Indians in the hotel in Bamako have been safely evacuated. Our Ambassador in Mali has confirmed. >#MaliAttack
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) >November 20, 2015Hostage situation in Bamako - Please contact +223 76409258
— India in Mali (@IndianEmbassyML) >November 20, 201519:54 IST: U.S. citizens might be present at Mali hotel -State Deptarment.
19:42 IST: U.S. military helping move civilians to safety in Mali.
19:39 IST: U.S. Defence official says no formal request yet for U.S. military assitance in Mali hotel incident. They further said around 25 U.S. military personnel were in Bamako at the time of the incident.
This is not an isolated incident in Mali. In August this year, in Sevare, 13 people including four soldiers and five UN workers were killed in a hostage situation at a hotel. The incident was suspected to be the work of Islamist extremists.
( * Graphic News)
19:20 IST: Radisson Blu says 124 guests, 13 staff members still inside the hotel following gun attack.
(The Radisson Blu hotel, left, that was stormed by gunmen during an attack on the hotel in Bamako, Mali. Photo: AP)
18:22 IST: Hostage freed from Mali hotel says attackers spoke English.
17:52 IST: U.S. President Obama says monitoring the situation in Mali after attack on the hotel.
17:46 IST: Air France says 12 crew members were in Bamako hotel but have been evacuated and are now safe.
17:39 IST: Mali's special forces clearing Radisson Hotel floor by floor, sporadic gunfire heard, says security source.
(In this image made available by Malikahere.com security personnel, attend close to the scene of an attack on a hotel in Bamako, Mali. Photo: AP)
17:37 IST: French President Hollande says everything being done to free hostages held at Bamako's Radisson Blu Hotel.
17:28 IST: Eighty hostages freed so far from luxury hotel in Bamako amid special forces — State broadcaster
17:09 IST: Malian special forces enter Bamako Radisson Blu Hotel where Islamist gunmen are holding hostages.
17:05 IST: The Indians work for a Dubai-based company and were residing in the hotel permanently: MEA
17:03 IST: 20 Indians inside the luxury hotel which is under sieged of gunmen in Mali's capital Bamako: MEA >Read more
16:55 IST: Mali's President Keita cuts short trip to Chad, returns to capital Bamako amid hotel attack — Presidency source
16:38 IST: Three Turkish airlines staff members escaped from the hotel — Turkish offcial
16:35 IST: Atleast three hostages dead in the attack — Malian security ministry quoted by French Le Monde Afrique.
16:25 IST: Gunmen moving floor by floor. Presently on the seventh floor of the Radisson Hotel in Mali Capital— senior security source.
16:18 IST: The company that runs the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali's capital says assailants have taken hostages in a brazen assault involving grenades. Photo: AP
16:08 IST: Malian special forces arrive at the hotel siege. France providig logistics and intelligence support— French diplomat source.
16:03 IST: U.S. President Obama has been briefed on Mali attack by National Securiy Advisor, says White House official.
16:01 IST: Malian army commander Modibo Nama Traore said 10 gunmen stormed the hotel shouting “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” in Arabic before firing on the guards and taking hostages.
15:58 IST: China’s official state Xinhua News Agency quoted a Chinese guest as saying via a mobile chat app that several Chinese were among the guests trapped at the hotel. — AP
15:55 IST: French people among those held the attacked hotel — Mali-French Presidential source.
15:54 IST: Le Monde Afrique reports: two women were evacuated by security forces.
15:50 IST: Turkish airlines has six staff members inside the attacked hotel— Turkish official.
15:41 IST: Gunmen free some hostages, including those able to recite verses of the Quran — security forces.
15:30 IST: According to a report from Reuters , gunmen were shouting out Islamic slogans.
15:25 IST: Gunmen arrived around 7 am in a vehicle, forced through security barrier at Radisson Blu Hotel, Bamako — head security guard.
