Islamist Terorists Attack Radisson Blu Hotel in Capital City of Mali Killing 3 and Taking 170 Hostages Shouting “Allahu Akbar”

Islamist terrorists have stormed the Radisson Blu hotel, a luxury hotel in the capital city of Mali on Friday, killing at least three people and taking about 170 hostages. According to Kassim Traoré, a Malian journalist, the gunmen asked hostages to recite a Muslim declaration of faith called the shahada. Those who could were allowed to leave the hotel. Those who could not were taken hostage. The Islamist jihadists armed with AK-47s and hand grenades went floor by floor looking for Christians.

A note to CBS News and the rest of the liberal media, these are not gunman … there are Islmofascist terrorists. When attackers shout”Allahu Akbar” as they are perpetrating an act of terror, they are not gunman. Call it for what it really is.

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Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital on Friday, killing at least three people and taking about 170 hostages in a city that serves as a logistics hub for French forces helping in a fight against Islamist insurgents.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and the identities or affiliation of the attackers was not clear.

Some captives managed to escape or were released by the attackers, who reportedly freed those able to recite a Muslim profession of faith. Among those released were five members of a six-member Turkish Airlines crew, the company said.

Malian army commander Modibo Nama Traore said at least 10 gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako shouting “Allahu Akbar” — “God is great” in Arabic — then fired on guards and began rounding up hostages.

It is not clear how many people have been injured or killed in the assault. A Malian military official, Lt. Col. Diarran Kone, told the Associated Press there were three confirmed deaths, but gave no other details. According to CNN, two of the dead are Malian. One is a French national.

UPDATE I: Media Release from The Rezidor Hotel Group:

Hostage-taking at Radisson Blu Hotel, Bamako / Mali

Media Statement and family support telephone numbers – 20 Nov 2015; 13:45 CET

We are closely following the hostage-taking incident that is taking place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Bamako / Mali today, 20th November 2015. According to our latest information 125 guests and 13 employees are still in the building.
Our highest concern is the safety of all our guests and employees in the hotel. We are in constant contact with the authorities there and will share further information with you when we have it.
We have established dedicated phone lines to support the families of guests and employees, as well as a media enquiry line. Please refer to the numbers below.

Family information line: 0 800 940 164 (toll free in France) + 33170837437 (international)

Media information: +33 1 56 03 12 74

UPDATE II: Islamists attack luxury hotel in Mali capital, 80 Hostages Freed.

State television said 80 hostages had been freed but the French newspaper Le Monde quoted the Malian security ministry as saying at least three people had been killed in the initial attack. A witness outside the hotel said gunfire could be heard from time to time.

A senior security source said the gunmen had burst into Radisson Blu hotel at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT), firing and shouting “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is great” in Arabic, and begun working their way through the building, room by room and floor by floor.

Some hostages escaped under their own steam while others were freed after showing they could recite verses from the Koran, one security source said.

Twelve Air France flight crew were in the hotel, but all were extracted safely, the French national carrier said.

A Turkish official said three of six Turkish Airlines staff who had been in the hotel had managed to flee.

The Chinese state news agency Xinhua said several Chinese tourists were among those trapped inside the building.