[175]Four hostages freed but 12 left dead as Mali hotel siege…

Four hostages freed but 12 left dead as Mali hotel siege brought to an end

Four hostages have been freed from a hotel in central Mali after a standoff（和局；僵持） with Islamic extremists that left 12 people dead. Mali’s defence ministry adviser Colonel Diaran Kone said militants attacked Hotel Byblos, which is frequented by UN staff, on Friday. Malian special forces backed by French soldiers brought the siege（包围；围攻） to an end early on Saturday. The dead included hotel staff, jihadis, Malian soldiers and a UN contractor.

It seems to be over and it has ended well. We freed the four hostages.

Defence ministry adviser Colonel Diaran Kone

Ukraine and Russia said their citizens were among the hostages while South African and French nationals are also believed to have been staying at the hotel, a Malian military official said. Northern Mali fell under the control of jihadists（圣战者） back in 2012 but a French-led offensive ousted（驱逐；剥夺；取代） them from power in early 2013. Remnants（残留） of the group have staged a number of attacks on U.N. peacekeepers and Malian forces though Friday’s assault（袭击；攻击） on a hotel known to be popular with U.N. pilots marks a serious escalation（增加扩大）. Sevare and the nearby town of Mopti in central Mali have long been the heart of the country’s tourism industry and had been spared from the attacks more common in the northern towns of Gao and Timbuktu.

The army is there at the site and we are looking for a solution that will preserve human life.

Colonel Souleymane Maiga