BAMAKO, Mali (Reuters) – A new alliance of Islamist militant groups linked to al Qaeda on Monday (June 19) claimed responsibility for an attack that killed at least five people at a Mali luxury resort popular with Western expatriates just outside the capital Bamako.
The militants’ al-Zallaqa Media Foundation posted a statement on its Telegram channel saying that al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Mali, Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, had said the attack bears a message to the “Crusaders” that they will never be safe in the country.
The assailants stormed the hotel on Sunday (June 18) afternoon, opening fire on guests and battling with French and Malian special forces deployed to try to free those trapped inside.
Mali’s Anti-Terrorism prosecutor said in interview with Reuters on Monday that four of the dead were guests and one was a local soldier who died in the firefight.
The nationalities of the dead were a woman from Mali, a Cameroonian, a Chinese, a Portuguese and a Malian soldier, the prosecutor said. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, confirmed that two of the dead were working for its mission there.
Although the attackers succeeded in mounting a lethal assault, security forces backed by French and United Nations troops managed to rescue around 60 residents in two batches on Sunday night, including 13 French citizens and several children.
