Terrorists Seize Control Of Mali Hotel & Take 170 People Hostage

Jihadi terrorists equipped with grenades and guns have taken 170 hostages at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali, leading Friday's latest developments in the ongoing international battle against terror.

Newest Details

Three people have died in the attacks, according to officials. Authorities with Mali's military said that 10 attackers ran into the hotel yelling "Allahu Akbar" — Arabic for "God is great" — and opened fire on security guards at the establishment. One hotel staffer said that terrorists used grenades as well, one week after the attacks in Paris that left 129 dead; and three years after a jihadi attack in the country's northern region was ended by the French military. Officials with the U.S. Embassy confirmed an "ongoing active shooter operation," while Mali army commander Modibo Nama Traore said that up to 30 people had been released, with some witnesses saying that they were let go after being able to recite verses from the Koran.

France Weighs In

French president Francois Hollande said his country is fully behind Mali amid the terrorist attack, urging French nationals there to reach out to the French Embassy so "that everything is made to offer them protection." Fifty of the country's top troops, especially prepared for emergency situations, have been sent from Paris to Bamako to assist with the situation, according to the national gendarme service. A Paris-to-Bamako flight scheduled for Friday was "has been cancelled," Air France spokesman Ulli Gendrot said amid the ongoing crisis.

Army Recruitment In France Booming

The average number of inquiries for France's army has tripled from 500 to 1,500 since last week's attacks, Col. Eric de Lapresle told the French newspaper Le Monde, calling it a "totally new phenomenon." The number had already increased more than triple its 150 average earlier this year, amid January's attacks on the Charlie Hebdo paper and a kosher market.