Mali hotel attack: gunmen hold 170 hostage at Radisson Blu as third body found at Paris terrorist lair - live
One week on from Paris attacks, 10 gunman are believed to be inside the hotel and have used grenades. Follow all the latest news from Mali, Paris and the rest of Europe as police continue hunt for terror suspects
Malian troops take position outside the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako Photo: AFP/Getty
• At least three dead in terror attack in Mali's capital where French and UN troops are stationed
• 170 taken hostage at Radisson hotel by men screaming 'Allahu Akbar'
• Gunmen freeing hostages who can recite verses from Qur'an
• Third body of terrorist found in Paris raid flat
• Eighth suspected terrorist still on the loose
• Summary of events In Europe so far this morning
Latest
11:51
Malian special forces enter hotel
Malian special forces are rerported to be in the hotel.
Security forces drive near the Radisson hotel in Bamako Photo: Reuters
The UN force in Mali's website says they have
9,142 soldiers, 1,178 police and 1,180 civilians on the ground,
Aislinn Laing writes.
They are led by the UN Secretary General's special representative Mongi Hamdi, a California-educated Tunisian, supported by force leaders from Rwanda, the Netherlands, Denmark and Djibouti. The UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ghana, Sweden, German, Bangladesh and Benin are among the countries that contribute to the force.
New Delhi says 20 Indians held hostage in the siege.
Just spoke to receptionist at Bamako Hotel Colibris-rumoured on Twitter to've also been attacked. He said
they're fine, have upped security
— Aislinn Laing (@Simmoa)
November 20, 2015
Hotel staff have
confirmed there are between "two and four" attackers - and not 10 as reported elsewhere.
African news website Jeune Afrique reports that
the attackers came in the basement at the start of the attack, but split apart and went up each floor.
Malian troops, helped by special forces, are in the building and are combing through it.
A paramedic said
three security guards had been wounded, including one who was in a critical condition after being shot. AFP's correspondent saw a police officer, who had also been shot, being evacuated by security forces.
11:42
One more dies from Paris attacks
BFMTV reports that another person has died as a result of the attacks last week, bringing the total to 130 dead.
11:27
The situation in Bamako
CNN reports that there are no French troops stationed in Bamako right now, the French army said.
Pictures on Twitter suggest that road blocks made of tyres have been set up around the hotel in Bamako.
The UN force in Mali has just posed a statement on Twitter just now:
"The special representative of the UN Secretary General and the UN force in Mali together denounce the terrorist attack taking place at a Bamako hotel.
"The UN force in Mali is at this moment supporting the Malian authorities with security reinforcements as well as medics at the site.
"The special representative of the UN Secretary General extends his condolences to the people affected by this attack."
Radisson on a short list of hotels in #Bamako that are approved, considered safe by UN to house their personnel
— Phil Pa?l?tta (@philinthe_) November 20, 2015
The Foreign Office has warned against all travel to Mali since March 2012.
There have already been several incidents in 2015, including two in which foreigners were targeted.
• On March 6, there was a terrorist attack on the restaurant La Terrasse in the capital, Bamako. Five people, including two Europeans, were killed and nine were injured.
• On August 7, there was an attack by armed men in the town of Sévare in the Mopti region. The attack lasted several hours, including a siege at a local hotel. Twelve people died, including two foreign nationals.
• On June 10, there was an attack by armed men on Malian security forces in the town of Misseni, near the border with Ivory Coast.
New terrorist attack as gunmen hold 170 hostages in Mali Radisson hotel where French troops are stationed - live - Telegraph
11:15
30 Gurkhas are in Mali
Ben Farmer reports Britain has 30 Gurkha soldiers in Mali as part of an EU training mission.
The troops are not in Bamako, the MoD said.
The U.N. mission said it was sending security reinforcements.