Hotel of horror

— Jihadis’ grenade attack
— Terrorists spoke English
— Brit fanatic link probed

AT least 27 hostages were killed in another jihadi bloodbath yesterday after English-speaking terrorists stormed a hotel in Mali.

Wounded ... hostage is taken away by troops

Ten maniacs, some screaming “God is great!” in Arabic, hurled grenades and blasted guests and staff with AK47s at the luxury Radisson Blu Hotel.

As it emerged last night three Brits survived the siege, anti-terror teams were investigating whether a UK fanatic dubbed “The New Jihadi John” had been among the gunmen.

The terrorists, said to be from the al-Qaeda splinter group Al-Mourabitoun, rounded up 170 hostages but released around 30 who were able to recite verses from the Koran.

Around 80 more escaped or were freed by Malian special forces troops who then waged a blazing room-by-room battle with the gang.

Casualty ... the body of a victim is taken from the hotel

Hostages were executed or killed in the crossfire before the gunmen were finally cornered on stairwells.
The siege was declared officially over last night, but some of the gang were still holed up in the hotel. Search teams recovered 12 bodies from the basement and 15 on the second floor.

Armed escort ... guest are led away to safety by police and troops

Belgian diplomat Geoffrey Dieudonne was among those killed. At least three of the terrorists were also dead in the war-torn west African state’s capital Bamako. Hotel guest Sekouba “Bambino” Diabate  a Guinean pop singer  told how he heard one of the extremists issuing commands in English next door while he cowered in his room.

Under siege ... the terrifying scene near a lift at the hotel

He said: “I woke up with the sounds of gunshots and for me, it was just small-time bandits who came in the hotel to claim something. But after 20 or 30 minutes, I realised these are not just petty criminals. I heard them say in English ‘Did you load it? Let’s go.’”

Briefing ... a security advisor instructs troops at hotel

The new terror outrage unfolded in the former French colony a week after IS terrorists massacred 130 innocents in Paris.

It began at 7am local time yesterday when the gang smashed through a hotel security barrier in 4x4 vehicles bearing diplomatic plates.

As they stormed the doors of the 190-room hotel screaming “Allahu Akbar”, two security guards were shot in the legs and grenades thrown in the reception area.


One victim was seen lying dead on the ground floor as hundreds of Malian special troops led by US and French military advisers surrounded the hotel.


Gunfire was later heard on the fifth and seventh floors where militants had been scouring rooms looking for western guests and staff.
Just before noon, nearly five hours after the siege began, 80 hostages were freed, including five Turkish Airlines staff, 12 Air France crew, six US citizens, 20 Indians, seven Algerians, two Russians and four Chinese.
Another 132 people were evacuated four hours later. Two terrorists were then killed and the siege declared over at 4.34pm.

Three Brits who were at the hotel survived. Two Malians and a French national were later confirmed as among the dead. Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said: “Three Britons who were in the hotel are now safe. The UK stands with allies to confront terrorism.”

Michael Skapoullis, who lives in a nearby complex, had been listening to music as he worked out in the hotel gym and initially had no idea it was under siege.

He said: “There were two people in the gym and when they left I was a bit worried. I left and tried to go in the lobby. I opened the door, and saw bullets on the ground.

 I closed the door and I went back in the gym, and from the gym I left the hotel. Outside there were police and military crew who brought me to my house.”

Mali’s Security Minister Salif Traore said: “Our special forces have freed hostages and 30 others were able to escape. We sealed the exit points, so none of the hostage takers will be able to escape.”

Special forces teams were still attempting to dislodge a handful of terrorists last night. Security ministry spokesman Amadou Sangho said: “The attackers no longer have hostages. They are dug in on the upper floors. They are alone with the Malian special forces who are trying to dislodge them.”

France’s defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian last night said Al-Mourabitoun leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar was believed to be behind the attack. His militants have been fighting a 12,000-strong French-led UN force in the north of Mali.

Algerian Belmokhtar, 43 — known as The Uncatchable — has orchestrated a string of deadly attacks across north Africa, killing 67 at an Algerian gas plant in 2013. Mr Le Drian said: “He is likely to be behind this attack although we are not completely certain of it.”

Al-Mourabitoun was also said to be keen to recruit an English-speaking video frontman after IS frontman Jihadi John grabbed global publicity before he was killed in Syria nine days ago.

In June a terrorist with an English accent cockily paraded German and South African hostages in an al-Qaeda video in Mali.

But it was unclear last night whether he was among the hostage-takers as other witnesses said they heard English spoken in Nigerian accents.

French President Francois Hollande, who has ordered a massive anti-terror crackdown after the Friday 13th terror attacks in Paris, said: “We should yet again stand firm and show our solidarity with a friendly country, Mali.”

It followed a 24-hour hostage drama in August in Sevare, central Mali, when four soldiers and five UN workers were killed in a clash with al-Qaeda-linked militants.

In March masked gunmen killed five people at a restaurant in Bamako popular with foreigners.