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20Nov15
Jihadists storm Radisson hotel in Malian capital
Jihadists stormed the Radisson Blu Hotel in downtown Bamako in the early morning today, killing at least 27 people and taking more than 170 hostage. Malian commandos have assaulted the hotel in an effort to end the siege. The counterattack is still underway.
The attack began when gunmen penetrated a security barrier outside the hotel. Quoting a witness, the BBC reports that "They [the jihadists] were in car with a diplomatic license plate. They were masked. At the gate of the hotel, the guard stopped them and they start firing."
The jihadists then shot their way into the hotel. Once inside, the gunmen reportedly made their way through the hotel "floor by floor, room by room" according to Reuters. The attackers were heard yelling "Allahu Akbar," or "God is greatest," in Arabic while fanning out through the hotel. Two attackers were overheard speaking English, one witness said.
An estimated 80 hostages were freed after they were able to correctly recite verses of the Koran. The tactic of separating Muslims from other hostages is one that is often used by al Qaeda to avoid killing Muslims.
Malian special forces are reported to have assaulted the building after cordoning off the area. Additionally, the French GIGN, the elite counterterrorism unit of the National Gendarmerie, is being deployed to Bamako to assist Mali in the hostage crisis. US Special Forces are reported to have rescued six US citizens.
The exact number of gunmen involved in the attack on the Radisson Blu is unclear, with reports varying between two and 13 fighters.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, which is US-owned, is popular with foreign nationals, including French tourists and businessmen. A number of French, Chinese, and Indian citizens were staying at the hotel when the attack began.
Al Murabitoon, an al Qaeda group led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, claimed credit for the attack and demanded the release of jihadist prisoners as well as an end to French intervention in northern Mali. [See LWJ report, Al Qaeda group claims credit for attack on hotel in Mali's capital.]
The hostage crisis is the second to occur in Mali this year. The previous hostage crisis was executed in August, when jihadists from Al Murabitoon stormed a hotel in the central Malian town of Sevare. The siege left at least 12 people dead. Al Murabitoon also targeted a nightclub in Bamako earlier this year.
Today's attack took place just weeks after Iyad Ag Ghaly, the leader of Ansar Dine, released an audio statement calling for attacks on the French and their interests in Mali. Ghaly called for the increased targeting of French interests to avenge French intervention in the country.
"May your explosive belts respond to them, and your directed devices, and your loud car bombs," he said. He ends his statement by saying that the Muslims must expel the "Crusaders" to "take revenge for honor of our noble Prophet."
Ansar Dine, a front for al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, has also claimed several attacks in southern Mali this year, including two near the border with the Ivory Coast. One of the those attacks targeted a police station near the border, which left at least one Malian police officer dead. Additionally, the Macina Liberation Movement, which a front for Ansar Dine, has also been behind several attacks in southern and central Mali this year. [See map above for more information.]
Assaulting hotels is a common tactic of al Qaeda, the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and other jihadist groups. Many of the hotels targeted by jihadists are frequented by Western tourists, Western government officials, or host to local government figures.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al Qaeda's official branch in North Africa, has a history of kidnapping Westerners, many from Malian hotels. These individuals includes the Swede Johan Gustofsson, South African Stephen McGowan, and the Dutchman Sjaak Rijke. The three, along with a German national, were kidnapped from a hotel in Timbuktu. Rijke has since been released, but Gustofsson and McGowan are still being held.
[Source: By Caleb Weiss, The Long War Journal, NJ, 20Nov15]
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 | This document has been published on 30Nov15 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |