There are early reports coming in from a luxury resort in Mali that militants stormed the place, shots were fired, and hostages are being taken.
A security ministry spokesman in Mali says a resort outside the country's capital Bamako is under attack
— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) June 18, 2017
It's at a resort, one of the few places westerners go. Reports of hostages & french army involvement. I've been there. Terrifying. https://t.co/A4UnwXzE5x
— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) June 18, 2017
Campement hugely popular with UN staff & other international workers. Was expanding to meet rising demand as tourism slowly trickled back.
— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) June 18, 2017
What’s most alarming about the Campement attack so far is just how close the attack is to Mali’s capital Bamako. 45min drive or so.
— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) June 18, 2017
DEVELOPING: Resort outside of Bamako, Mali frequented by tourists is under attack. pic.twitter.com/RqPJ6C7c37
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) June 18, 2017
#Breaking 1st pic from Kangaba resort near #Bamako with column of smoke. Seems attack is big & still going on… #Mali
Via @RamiAILoIah pic.twitter.com/2LirBHcGvD— MexicoTimes Breaking (@1stBreakingNews) June 18, 2017
Armed group storms Campement Kangaba resort in #Mali and hostages are reportedly being held.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 18, 2017
#Mali #Bamako – This is what Campement #Kangaba, a tourist resort frequented by westerners, looks like. pic.twitter.com/qRYG8VmIsb
— Terror Events (@TerrorEvents) June 18, 2017
Terror attack under way at Campement Kangaba (Spa Resort) near Bamako in Mali — security sources pic.twitter.com/kdSkhi5YDT (pic: @AnwKaMali)
— Gregor Peter (@L0gg0l) June 18, 2017
Unconfirmed reports of an ongoing militant attack in Bamako. Comes a week after US Embassy warned of high terrorism threat in Malian capital
— Ryan Cummings (@Pol_Sec_Analyst) June 18, 2017
That the resort is used by foreigners and UN employees follows the pattern of attacks by Boko Haram, an Islamist terror group.
This year a new terrorist group in Mali emerged from the shadows and is attracting growing attention. The self-proclaimed Macina Liberation Front (MLF), based in central Mali, has generated headlines with several attacks—most recently the siege in early August of a hotel in Sévaré used by United Nations employees that left at least 13 dead.
There is growing speculation, moreover, that the MLF represents a new Boko Haram, the Islamist insurgent group and Islamic State affiliate that has turned northern Nigeria into a war zone. The comparison has some merit, but in any case it is important to understand what the MLF is rather than rush to conclusions.
I’ll post with more details as necessary…