Armed jihadists have killed at least 27 people in a deadly shooting rampage at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali, which also saw 138 people taken hostage. Automatic weapons fire was heard throughout the seventh floor of the 190-room hotel, where it is thought as many as ten militants were going floor to floor taking hostages. One hostage who escaped said the militants were speaking to each other in English. Another witness described how the gunmen allowed around 20 hostages to leave safely after they proved they were able to recite verses of the Koran. US Special Forces stormed the hotel and began clearing the building one floor at a time. All 22 American nationals inside were rescued. The al-Qaeda affiliated group al-Mourabitoun, based in northern Mali, have claimed responsibility for the hotel attack.
