Mali: Shooting at a hotel in the capital city of Ramako.

(Baonghean.vn) - On November 20, extremist jihadists opened fire on the Radisson Hotel in the heart of Ramako, Mali.

Location of the Radisson Hotel, where the shooting just took place. Photo: Google Maps.

On the morning of November 20th, witnesses heard a series of automatic gunfire sounds outside the Radisson Hotel.

A security source said the shooting took place on the seventh floor of the hotel. The terrorists fired shots in the hallway.

Police are currently establishing a security cordon around the Radisson hotel and are working to rescue the hostages.

As of now, the number of casualties has not yet been tallied.

The Radisson Hotel, with its 190 rooms, is known to be a frequent destination for foreign tourists, the majority of whom are French.

A security source said the terrorists were traveling in a vehicle with diplomatic license plates. At the time, the two attackers were holding 170 hostages, including 140 tourists and 30 staff members.

Immediately after receiving the news, French troops in Mali were deployed to the scene. It is known that France maintains 1,000 soldiers in Mali.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy issued a notice urging its citizens in Mali to stay indoors.

Reuters quoted a senior Malian military official as saying that the terrorists had released some hostages. According to the source, those released were mostly people who could recite the Quran.

Malian police surround the Radisson hotel. Photo: AFP

A spokesperson for the security forces has just announced that the task force has rescued more than 10 people, including 3 women.

Regarding the nationalities of the 140 hostages, according to the latest information from Xinhua News Agency, some Chinese citizens are currently present at the Ridisson Hotel.

Turkish officials have confirmed that six members of the country's airline are being held captive by terrorists. The Parisian authorities have also announced that some of their citizens are in the hands of terrorists.

According to Mali's Minister of Security, at least three hostages have been killed so far.

At 9:20 AM (approximately 6:12 PM Vietnam time), China's state-run CCTV reported that the Chinese Embassy in Mali stated that "about 10 Chinese citizens were present at the hotel and were in their rooms." These individuals were employees of a Chinese company and were "safe until this point."

By 9:45 a.m., the Malian army, the French army, and the United Nations force (Minusma), along with medical teams, had been deployed to the area where the terrorist attack occurred to assist the Malian authorities in rescuing hostages and apprehending the perpetrators.

Police evacuated people around the Radisson hotel. Photo: AP

According to Türkiye's Anadolu news agency, five members, including two pilots from Turkish Airlines, who were kidnapped at the Radisson hotel, have been released.

Currently, no organization has claimed responsibility for the incident. According to military sources and witnesses, the attackers shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) before opening fire.

At 10:15 a.m., Malian television announced that another 80 hostages had been released.

In an interview with AFP, Security Minister Salif Traoré stated generally, "The special forces freed 30 hostages and others escaped on their own."

Following news of the kidnapping and attack at the Radisson Hotel, Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita left N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, to return to Bamako.

Chu Thanh

(According to Le Monde)