Attack on hotel in Mali

It says: "The Rezidor Hotel Group... is aware of the hostage-taking that is ongoing at the property today, 20th November 2015. As per our information two persons have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees"


BBC Live

Radisson Blu hotel.kmz (709 B)

Twenty hostages were killed Saturday by gunmen in the standoff with police and troops and the remaining hostages were rescued. However, UN officials stated that 27 bodies were seen in the hotel.
One hostage reported hearing gunmen speaking to each other in English.

...security forces tried to pin down the attackers in the heart of Bamako. Officials said that four gunmen were holed up Friday night in a hotel room but that there were no hostages with them.
...
Security had been reinforced in Bamako — specifically around locations popular with foreigners, including the Radisson — after the Paris attacks, [security minister, Col. Salif ] Traore said. He added that the attackers entered the hotel through a side entrance, “which makes us believe that they were familiar with the hotel.”

Source

French troops were stationed in Mali from 2012-2014 to assist the government with attacks by extremist groups in the north. A contingent of them had remained behind and, along with UN, US and Malian forces, raided the Radisson.