All Indian nationals at hotel safe, evacuated.
By Raif Karerat
Gunmen took 170 people hostage today at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali in West Africa, according to a Radisson Hotels representative.
U.S. citizens might be at the hotel, according to a statement from State Department spokesperson John Kirby, adding that the U.S. Embassy in Bamako is working to verify.
Meanwhile, all 20 Indian nationals who were at the hotel have been evacuated, according to a tweet the Ministry of External Affairs. Thirty-two hostages have been released since the incident began, according to the hotel.
At least two people are dead, according to a United Nations spokesperson, after three men shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) stormed the hotel with guns and grenades on Friday morning.
Freelance journalist Katarina Hoije, who is at the scene, told ABC News that, “this is a hotel popular with Westerners and also many agencies working here, among them the U.N. peacekeeping mission who has staff staying at the hotel regularly.”
The attack is far from an isolated incident, according to The Hindu. In March masked gunmen shot up a restaurant in Bamako that is popular with foreigners, killing five people.
The Hindu also reported that as of 10:20 a.m. Friday, an Al-Qaeda affiliated group has claimed responsibility for the latest Mali attack, while the U.S. envoy is saying it is too early to surmise whether the situation is related to the Paris attacks.