Mali’s security forces hunt down three suspects

Malian security forces hunted on Saturday for three suspects believed to be involved in the brazen attack by gunmen at a five-star hotel that killed 21 people in the heart of the capital, Bamako. A breakaway al-Qaeda faction from the country’s restive north claimed responsibility for the nine- hour hostage-taking siege that ended after special forces stormed the luxury hotel. “We are actively pursuing three suspects who might have been involved in Friday’s attack on the Radisson Blu hotel,” a Malian security official told the AFP news agency. Mali was under a state of emergency on Saturday and three days of mourning were announced by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who also clarified the death toll after Malian state television reported late Friday that 27 were dead, along with three attackers. “This evening, the death toll is heavy and terrible: 21 dead, two (assailants) amongst them, and seven wounded,” Keita said. Friday’s assault on the Radisson Blu hotel was the latest in a series of deadly raids this year on high- profile targets in Mali, which has battled various rebel groups based in its desert north for years. SOURCE: Al Jazeera