Suspected gunmen have attacked a hotel in central Mali used by United Nations staff, killing at least five people and exchanging fire with troops encircling the building, residents and military sources have said.
Malian military officials also said on Friday that three Russian pilots were believed to have been kidnapped during the attack in the town of Sevare, though the Russian embassy in Mali, speaking to the TASS press agency, denied this.
“There are people inside the hotel that we are trying to save,”Colonel Diarran Kone, the defense ministry adviser said.
The attack well south of the Saharan desert strongholds of armed fighters highlights the threat posed by remnants of an al-Qaeda-linked insurgency that appears to be stepping up its campaign against Malian and UN troops.
Moussa Bah, the owner of a hotel nearby, said he was told by military personnel that several people have been killed, including fighters and soldiers.
He said the hotel is frequented by pilots with the United Nations peacekeeping mission.
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