Hotel attack in Mali's capital leaves at least 27 dead
Islamic extremists armed with guns and grenades stormed the Radisson hotel in Mali's capital Friday, and security forces swarmed in to free guests floor by floor. As evening fell, officials said no more hostages were being held and that at least 27 people had been killed.
U.S. and French special operations forces assisted Malian troops in the swift response to the attack by an unknown number of gunmen. Shooting continued into the late afternoon, and a U.N. official said two attackers had been killed.
An extremist group led by former al-Qaida commander Moktar Belmoktar claimed responsibility for the siege at the Radisson Blu hotel in the former French colony, and many in France saw it as a new assault on their country's interests a week after the Paris attacks....