Heavy Gunfire Heard At Mali Hostage Hotel

[lostinblue 1,989]

Heavy Gunfire Heard At Mali Hostage Hotel

At least three people are reported dead at the hands of militants who were heard by one of 80 freed hostages speaking English.

The Islamic extremists who stormed a luxury hotel in Mali are said to be dug in on the seventh floor from where heavy gunfire has been heard.

State television says 80 of the 153 people taken hostage by the attackers have now been freed in an operation by special forces .

Malian army commander, Modibo Nama Traore, said troops were moving "floor by floor" rescuing people.

According to CNN, they were being assisted by US special forces.

One of the freed hostages, a singer from Guinea, said he heard attackers in the next room speaking English.

"I heard them say in English 'Did you load it?', 'Let's go'," Sékouba 'Bambino' Diabate told Reuters.

added: "I wasn't able to see them because in these kinds of situations it's hard."

Around 10 men armed with guns and grenades stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital Bamako at around 7am local time.

They were shouting and screaming "Allahu Akbar", which means "God Is great" in Arabic.

The hotel's head of security said they arrived aboard a vehicle and forced their way through a security barrier.

A military official said at least three people have been killed. Two security guards were injured in the assault.

Malian troops, who quickly surrounded the hotel, previously said they had freed around a dozen hostages.

A security source said a further 20 were released by the gunmen after being made to recite verses from the Koran.

Two women told an AFP journalist they had seen the body of a fair-skinned man lying on the floor of the hotel.

Turkish Airlines said seven of its staff were among the hostages, but five including two pilots had managed to escape.

Air France said it had 12 crew in the hotel but all were safely "extracted". As a precaution it has cancelled Friday's flights to and from Bamako.

The hostages were also said to include 20 Indian and seven Chinese.nationals, as well as Belgians, Germans, seven Algerians who were freed by the special forces, and possibly some Americans.

The owners of the hotel, which attracts many foreign visitors, originally said 140 guests and 30 employees had been "locked in" by two raiders.

President Francois Hollande has said France will "yet again stand firm and show our solidarity" with its former colony. It is to send extra troops to boost the 1,000 who remain there.

It was not immediately clear which Muslim extremist groups might be behind the attack, which came a week after the Paris massacre in which 130 people were killed.

http://news.sky.com/story/1591106/heavy-gunfire-heard-at-mali-hostage-hotel

A security source said a further 20 were released by the gunmen after being made to recite verses from the Koran.

This is getting to be a weekly event . Country after country .

[Darnell 8,479]

Mali? Sheesh!

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Heavy Gunfire Heard At Mali Hostage Hotel

At least three people are reported dead at the hands of militants who were heard by one of 80 freed hostages speaking English.

The Islamic extremists who stormed a luxury hotel in Mali are said to be dug in on the seventh floor from where heavy gunfire has been heard.

State television says 80 of the 153 people taken hostage by the attackers have now been freed in an operation by special forces .

Malian army commander, Modibo Nama Traore, said troops were moving "floor by floor" rescuing people.

According to CNN, they were being assisted by US special forces.

One of the freed hostages, a singer from Guinea, said he heard attackers in the next room speaking English.

"I heard them say in English 'Did you load it?', 'Let's go'," Sékouba 'Bambino' Diabate told Reuters.

added: "I wasn't able to see them because in these kinds of situations it's hard."

Around 10 men armed with guns and grenades stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital Bamako at around 7am local time.

They were shouting and screaming "Allahu Akbar", which means "God Is great" in Arabic.

The hotel's head of security said they arrived aboard a vehicle and forced their way through a security barrier.

A military official said at least three people have been killed. Two security guards were injured in the assault.

Malian troops, who quickly surrounded the hotel, previously said they had freed around a dozen hostages.

A security source said a further 20 were released by the gunmen after being made to recite verses from the Koran.

Two women told an AFP journalist they had seen the body of a fair-skinned man lying on the floor of the hotel.

Turkish Airlines said seven of its staff were among the hostages, but five including two pilots had managed to escape.

Air France said it had 12 crew in the hotel but all were safely "extracted". As a precaution it has cancelled Friday's flights to and from Bamako.

The hostages were also said to include 20 Indian and seven Chinese.nationals, as well as Belgians, Germans, seven Algerians who were freed by the special forces, and possibly some Americans.

The owners of the hotel, which attracts many foreign visitors, originally said 140 guests and 30 employees had been "locked in" by two raiders.

President Francois Hollande has said France will "yet again stand firm and show our solidarity" with its former colony. It is to send extra troops to boost the 1,000 who remain there.

It was not immediately clear which Muslim extremist groups might be behind the attack, which came a week after the Paris massacre in which 130 people were killed.

http://news.sky.com/story/1591106/heavy-gunfire-heard-at-mali-hostage-hotel

A security source said a further 20 were released by the gunmen after being made to recite verses from the Koran.

This is getting to be a weekly event . Country after country .

I wonder if there is a common denominator with the Paris killings

[lostinblue 1,989]

I wonder if there is a common denominator with the Paris killings

Gunmen shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as they stormed Mali hotel: security source

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/gunmen-shouted-allahu-akbar-stormed-mali-hotel-security-101739161.html

[smilesammich 10,727]

I wonder if there is a common denominator with the Paris killings

i'm pretty sure everyone realizes that isis claims islam. i'm thinking that the confusion comes in when that's where the thought process stops - instead of starts. try to wipe out a religion. try to oppress large group of people in order to control a small portion..the religion will only get stronger. isn't that common knowledge? how often do stories of christian persecution overseas evoke rallying cries from christians in the us? millions of muslims pose zero threat (if that wasn't true, we would actually be in the middle of wwIII right now). the question everyone should be asking is, how do you defend against those willing to die, and willing to have their children die, in order to kill you and how do you keep those willing to die from manipulating the disenfranchised. how do you cut off their supply of recruits?

[X Factor 1,112]

how do you defend against those willing to die, and willing to have their children die, in order to kill you...

That is the 64 million dollar question. Governments seem incapable of doing this IMO.

[lostinblue 1,989]

That is the 64 million dollar question. Governments seem incapable of doing this IMO.

You arm yourself

[JohnR! 5,495]

It must be awful to live in constant fear and hatred, and accuse another religion for all the ills of the world. Funny how that describes ISIS as well, isn't it?

IMHO the terrorists win when people give in to the fear and buy into the scaremongering.

All the mental baking must be exhausting!

i'm pretty sure everyone realizes that isis claims islam. i'm thinking that the confusion comes in when that's where the thought process stops - instead of starts. try to wipe out a religion. try to oppress large group of people in order to control a small portion..the religion will only get stronger. isn't that common knowledge? how often do stories of christian persecution overseas evoke rallying cries from christians in the us? millions of muslims pose zero threat (if that wasn't true, we would actually be in the middle of wwIII right now). the question everyone should be asking is, how do you defend against those willing to die, and willing to have their children die, in order to kill you and how do you keep those willing to die from manipulating the disenfranchised. how do you cut off their supply of recruits?

[X Factor 1,112]

You arm yourself

Arming myself wouldn't necessarily protect me if someone was standing next to me and blew himself up without any warning.