At Least 27 Dead In Islamic Terror Attack On Mali Hotel
BAMAKO, Mali (CBS News) -- Islamic extremists armed with guns and throwing grenades stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali's capital Friday morning, authorities said. A U.N. official said initial reports from the field indicate that 27 people were killed in the attack. It is not clear if that total included the bodies of the attackers.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the operation is still ongoing, said 12 bodies were found in the basement and 15 bodies were found on the second floor. The official stressed, however, that operations are ongoing and that the building had yet to be totally cleared.
A group of gunmen continued to hold out against security forces, a Mali official told Reuters.
A U.S. State Department source told CBS News that no Americans were killed. U.S. officials tell CBS News that all 22 Defense Department military and civilian personnel in Bamako are accounted for.