Siege Ends in Burkina Faso Hotel Attack, 126 Freed

[Vergennes]

As always,terrorists only attack unarmed civilians....

@mike2000 is back @waz @PARIKRAMA @Atanz @Taygibay @Abingdonboy @Technogaianist @Blue Marlin @Slav Defence
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At least 126 people were freed and three extremists killed after gunmen had earlier attacked a hotel that was popular with Westerners in Burkina Faso Friday evening --in what French officials called a "terrorist attack" for which Al-Qaeda militants claimed responsibility.

Burkina Faso and French forces killed the extremists and regained control of the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, Minister of Security and Internal Affairs Simon Compaore said Saturday, according to The Associated Press. About 33 people were wounded, and officials were still trying to figure out the number of casualties. Nearby hotels were being searched to make sure no other extremists were taking refuge there.

At least 10 bodies were found inside the Cappuccino Cafe near the hotel following the attack, Compaore had earlier said.

Eyewitnesses said two car bombs went off outside the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou around 8:30 p.m. local time.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming its fighters broke into the hotel's restaurant.

Siege Ends in Burkina Faso Hotel Attack, 126 Freed - ABC News
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French special forces actively participated in the assault.

 

[mike2000 is back]

As always,terrorists only attack unarmed civilians....

@mike2000 is back @waz @PARIKRAMA @Atanz @Taygibay @Abingdonboy @Technogaianist @Blue Marlin @Slav Defence
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At least 126 people were freed and three extremists killed after gunmen had earlier attacked a hotel that was popular with Westerners in Burkina Faso Friday evening --in what French officials called a "terrorist attack" for which Al-Qaeda militants claimed responsibility.

Burkina Faso and French forces killed the extremists and regained control of the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, Minister of Security and Internal Affairs Simon Compaore said Saturday, according to The Associated Press. About 33 people were wounded, and officials were still trying to figure out the number of casualties. Nearby hotels were being searched to make sure no other extremists were taking refuge there.

At least 10 bodies were found inside the Cappuccino Cafe near the hotel following the attack, Compaore had earlier said.

Eyewitnesses said two car bombs went off outside the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou around 8:30 p.m. local time.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming its fighters broke into the hotel's restaurant.

Siege Ends in Burkina Faso Hotel Attack, 126 Freed - ABC News
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French special forces actively participated in the assault.

View attachment 287439
View attachment 287438

I'm sure some terrorist sympathizers will also say it's because Burkina Faso is also an imperial power invading Muslims lands??

Anyway, well done to Burkina Faso and french security forces for putting down these barbarian Islamic terrorists. Send them on a one way ticket to hell where they can enjoy their virgins.

 

[Slav Defence]

The problem with Al-Qaida is that they are following divide and rule policy.Instead of attacking strong bases of country,it is much easier to began with public places.Basically,they work like viruses.Their each and every act contradicts with basic Islamic rules of warfare,yet they call themselves muslims.
Anyways,it is a good news to see them getting into death's wing.Might be their souls learn about some basic principles of life in 'afterlife' which they failed to learn in here.

regards

 

[Vergennes]

I'm sure some terrorist sympathizers will also say it's because Burkina Faso is also an imperial power invading Muslims lands??

Anyway, well done to Burkina Faso and french security forces for putting down these barbarian Islamic terrorists. Send them on a one way ticket to hell where they can enjoy their virgins.

Burkina Faso is hosting a base of French special forces...... Here's the excuse.. (hosting soldiers of imperialist power.)

 

[mike2000 is back]

Terror in Burkina Faso: Masked Al Qaeda gunmen kill at least 30 'including foreigners' at two top tourist hotels as Commandos rescue dozens of hostages in running gun battles with terrorists

• At least 20 people have died in the attack on the Splendid Hotel in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, West Africa
• Security forces stormed the hotel and have reportedly freed 126 hostages and killed three of the gunmen
• Russia's Honorary Council in Burkina Faso said foreigners are among the dead, 'possibly including Europeans'
• Local al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) branch Al-Mourabitoun have claimed responsibility for the attack
• One the several of people wounded in the attack has been identified as French photographer Leila Alaoui
• A second hotel, the Yibi Hotel, is also reportedly under siege by gunmen in the Burkinabe capital this morning

By TOM WYKE and ISABEL HUNTER FOR MAILONLINE and KELLY MCLAUGHLIN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and AGENCIES

PUBLISHED: 21:23, 15 January 2016 | UPDATED: 10:08, 16 January 2016


Security forces have managed to rescue 126 of the hostages trapped inside a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso after it was attacked by gunmen last night.

As many as 30 people have been killed in the terror attacks in Ouagadougou, with 33 of the survivors wounded during the rescue, the Burkinabe Interior Ministry confirmed. The fatalities are believed to be from 18 different countries,

A unit of Bukinabe special forces assisted by around 30 French special forces and an American soldier stormed the 147-bed hotel in Ougadougou and reportedly killed three of the gunmen, one of whom is thought to be of Arab origin.

At least ten of the victims in the terror attack were gunned down at the Cappuccino Cafe, situated next door to the hotel. The attack has been claimed by al-Mourabitoun, an al-Qaeda affiliated group based in the Sahel region of northern Mali.

Special forces are now trying to break a second siege at another nearby hotel, the Yibi Hotel, where gunmen are also thought to be holed up.

French first responders tend to the wounds of one injured soldiers during the attack on the Splendid Hotel and Cafe Cappucino

A view shows vehicles on fire outside Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso during a siege by Islamist gunmen on Saturday

Security forces - led by the approximately 40 Burkinabe soldiers with the help of 30 French troops (pictured) and an American soldier helped storm the hotel and kill the three gunmen

One of the wounded foreigners is thought to be talented French Moroccan photographer Leila Alaoui

Initial reports said the masked militants set off suspected car bombs outside the hotel at 7.30pm last night before they stormed the hotel taking at least 100 people hostage.

A US defense official said France, the former colonial power of Burkina Faso, had requested US intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance support in the city, and at least one US military member was giving 'advice and assistance' to French forces at the hotel.


Injured witnesses said the attackers claimed to be from ISIS, but a local Al Qaeda affiliated group called al-Mourabitoun, has reportedly claimed the attack on the capital in West Africa, according to SITE Intelligence Group.


Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement released on an encrypted messaging app.

The group said it targeted the Splendid Hotel because it is popular with foreigners, saying the attack was sent as a message 'written by the heroes of Islam with their blood and body parts', according to The New York Times.

The statement was addressed to a foreign audience as 'the Cross-worshipers, the occupiers of our lands, the looters of our wealth and the abusers of our security'. It claimed the attack was intended 'to punish the Cross-worshipers for their crimes against our people in Central Africa, Mali and other lands of the Muslims, and to avenge our Prophet, God's peace and blessings be upon him'.

Of those wounded is French national Leila Alaoui, who is undergoing surgery, according to New York Times contributor Aida Alami.

French television network France 24 reported that at least 20 people have been killed in the attack. Two survivors, who did not give their names, were interviewed by the station.

One hotel survivor contemplates the ordeal he has just been through after being rescued from the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou

Soldiers help to escort one badly hurt man out of the Splendid hotel, where 126 hostages are thought to have been rescued

 

[mike2000 is back]

A badly injured man is carried by several Burkinabe soldiers after being rescued from the deadly siege at the hotel

Mokhtar Belmokhtar, nicknamed Mr Marlboro for his expertises in financing terrorism through smuggling cigarettes, is believe d to be the leader of the al-Qaeda linked al-Mourabitoun

al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) posted a statement on social media, claiming responsibility for the deadly attack in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has largely been spared the violence wracked by Islamic extremist groups in northern neighbour Mali

FOREIGN OFFICE WARNS BRITONS ABOUT TRAVEL IN BURKINA FASO
Britons have been warned not to travel to an area of Burkina Faso after a deadly attack by suspected Islamic terrorists on a hotel that is popular with Westerners.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned against travelling north of the town of Boulsa, as it is near to the border with Mali.

The FCO advice states: 'You should avoid the area and follow the instructions of local security authorities.'


In a message posted in Arabic on the militants' 'Muslim Africa' Telegram account, AQIM said fighters 'broke into a restaurant of one of the biggest hotels in the capital of Burkina Faso, and are now entrenched and the clashes are continuing with the enemies of the religion.'

The same AQIM affiliate, Al-Mourabitoun, was responsible for the attack on the Radisson Hotel in Mali's capital last November, which left 27 people dead, including a number of foreign nationals.

'For the dead, we do not have a precise figure, but there are at least 20 dead,' said Robert Sangare, the head of Yalgado Ouedraogo hospital.

'We have had at least 15 wounded with bullet wounds and others who suffered injuries during the panic to escape.'

Sangare said one European woman being treated at the hospital told him the attackers appeared to target white people.

The hotel is sometimes used by French troops with Operation Barkhane, a force based in Chad and set up to combat Islamist militants across West Africa's vast, arid Sahel region.

Russia's Honorary Council in Burkina Faso, Anna Rachina-Kulibali, said foreigners were among the dead, 'possibly including Europeans'.

A general view shows fire beneath Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. al-Mourabitoun claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said the fighters have killed as many as 30 hostages.

Hostages: It is not yet known how many hostages have been taken in the 146-room downtown hotel popular with UN staff and westerners

Gunfire: The masked men fired into the air to disperse the crowd and a police officer was shot trying to reach the Splendid hotel

Ablaze: Several cars were on on fire outside the hotel and the cafe after two car bombs exploded at 7.30pm local time

 

[mike2000 is back]

Response: A U.S. defense official said that France had requested U.S. intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance support in the city and at least one U.S. military member in Burkina Faso was giving 'advice and assistance' to French forces at the hotel

Elite force: Security forces surrounded the hotel before the assault to rescue an unknown number of hostages

A police officer was shot trying to reach the Splendid hotel opposite where the attackers remain, according to officers.

A senior official with the national gendarmes said suspected Islamist fighters were holding a number of hostages, who have since been freed.


The four-star hotel is reportedly used by UN agency staff and is near a cafe called Cappucino, said to be popular with expats, although U.N. spokesman in Ouagadougou, Emile Kabore, told CNN he did not believe any U.N. staffers are currently staying at the hotel.

A witness who gave only his first name, Gilbert, said that when security forces first arrived, they turned around rather than confront the attackers.

'But we know that the gunmen won't get out of the hotel alive,' he said. 'Our country is not for jihadists or terrorists. They got it wrong.'

The French Embassy in Burkina Faso released a statement on its website calling incident a 'terrorist attack' and urged its citizens to return home and to avoid the hotel, the Cafe Capuccino and Kwame N'Krumah Avenue.

The US Embassy in Ouagadougou tweeted: 'We are closely following the situation downtown.'

Al-Qaeda It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, though jihadists have attacked hotels before in neighboring Mali, including a devastating attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in November that left 20 people dead.

The hotel is also reportedly used by French troops with Operation Barkhane, a force based in Chad and set up to combat Islamist militants

A Burkina Faso soldier lies on the floor wounded during fighting

Injured: Another 15 people have been injured as pictures were posted to Twitter as the attack continues

Security forces in Burkina Faso battled suspected Islamist fighters outside the Splendid Hotel in the capital's business district

The attack would be the first in Burkina's capital by Islamists in a country that is diverse in religious terms and has a population that is around 60 per cent Muslim, according to government figures.

Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, has no previous recent history of terror attacks and the capital, affectionately known by locals as Ouaga, is well known for its relaxed lifestyle and fun nightlife.

It comes as a setback to efforts by African governments, France and the United States to prevent attacks that have destabilized the region.

The security of Burkina Faso now presents a significant challenge for the country's new President Roch Marc Kabore, who was elected in November 2015 as Burkina Faso's first new leader in decades.

The French embassy in December warned its citizens against traveling to a national park in eastern Burkina Faso after reports that Malian jihadists were threatening to kidnap foreigners.

An Islamist militant group Al-Mourabitoun said in May, 2015, it was holding a Romanian man kidnapped from a mine in northern Burkina Faso the previous month.

Around 50 unidentified gunmen attacked a Burkina Faso gendarmerie brigade near the country's western border with Mali in October 2015, killing three in an attack the then government blamed on the leaders of a failed coup one month before.



Burkina Faso has endured bouts of political turmoil since October 2014 when veteran President Blaise Compaore was overthrown in a popular protest, but has been largely spared violence by Islamist militants who have staged attacks in neighboring Mali.

Two militants killed 20 people from nations including Russia, China and the United States at a luxury hotel in Mali's capital on November 20, 2015, before being killed by the security forces.

Three Islamist groups including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed that attack, the most prominent by militants who are based in the north of the country and have staged a series of attacks over the last year



Read more: Burkina Faso hotel attacked by Al Qaeda gunmen who kill 20 people | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[Signalian]

I condemn all terrorists and their actions. This is getting serious and worse.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Burkina Faso is hosting a base of French special forces...... Here's the excuse.. (hosting soldiers of imperialist power.)

Well these Islamic terrorist fanatics and their sympathizers always have an excuse to justify their crimes/killings of civilians etc, be it from Indonesia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Malaysia, Egypt, Iraq etc they all justify it using lame excuses.
Anyway who cares? We should give them no breathing space, target/kill them wherever they are and whatever their sympathizers say, as long as they threaten us and our citizens/interests.

 

[Parul]

Rest In Peace to Civilians & I wish n Pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Revisiting the other failed Paris style terrorist attack in Indonesia 3 days ago.

The terrorist toolkit: ISIS fanatic's chilling arsenal of bombs, guns, ammunition and a knife is revealed after wave of suicide attacks on Jakarta leaves seven dead

+49

Toolkit of terror: Police found an arsenal of weapons including bombs, guns, ammunition and a knife in the rucksacks carried by ISIS fanatics who launched a series of co-ordinated attacks that left at least seven dead in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta

Police found the terrifying war chest in a jihadist's rucksack after a five-hour gunbattle on the streets of the Indonesian capital

Indonesian anti-terror policemen check two dead terrorists lying next to a victim after a bomb blast in front of a shopping mall in Jakarta

One of the fanatics who was later found dead trains his gun on potential victims while stalking down Thamrin Street in Jakarta

A civilian races past the camera as hundreds of people in Jakarta are seen fleeing as a man with a gun walks the street

Shocking images captured the moment a suicide bomber (next to white van in left image) detonates (right) in the Indonesian city of Jakarta

 

[PARIKRAMA]

Few quick questions...
If the hotel was targeted for having say some UN delegates then who was the prime target there? Reports are saying no UN delegation was there during the time of attack.

Why are Al Qaeda targeting Civilians? Especially French?

The statement was addressed to a foreign audience as 'the Cross-worshipers, the occupiers of our lands, the looters of our wealth and the abusers of our security'. It claimed the attack was intended 'to punish the Cross-worshipers for their crimes against our people in Central Africa, Mali and other lands of the Muslims, and to avenge our Prophet, God's peace and blessings be upon him'.

How the hell religious extremism is used for killing innocents who did nothing? Is this some kind of joke.. a lame excuse for their acts against humanity?

The hotel is sometimes used by French troops with Operation Barkhane, a force based in Chad and set up to combat Islamist militants across West Africa's vast, arid Sahel region.

Again goes back to my original question.. Was UN ppl the raget, civilians or French ppl?
If French were the target then is it not obvious that it may be ISIS not Al Qaeda..

A witness who gave only his first name, Gilbert, said that when security forces first arrived, they turned around rather than confront the attackers.

?? Was that the recon team or the team felt better lt experts handle it..

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RIP to the dead ..


This is getting a bit bizarre
@Vauban I think its time France steps up the ante.. There is no point depending on USA intelligence or any other third party.. IN a span of last few months, too many innocents folks had lost lives with no fault of theirs.. What @mike2000 is back posted in the article, the religious fanaticism is way too much extreme.. No religion will preach something like that... No religion asks to kill another fellow human... These are some very bad twisted SOBs out there who needs to be exterminated.. They are bringing disrepute to a whole religion following people with their conduct and utter madness...

 

[mike2000 is back]

Few quick questions...
If the hotel was targeted for having say some UN delegates then who was the prime target there? Reports are saying no UN delegation was there during the time of attack.

Why are Al Qaeda targeting Civilians? Especially French?



How the hell religious extremism is used for killing innocents who did nothing? Is this some kind of joke.. a lame excuse for their acts against humanity?



Again goes back to my original question.. Was UN ppl the raget, civilians or French ppl?
If French were the target then is it not obvious that it may be ISIS not Al Qaeda..


?? Was that the recon team or the team felt better lt experts handle it..

+++



RIP to the dead ..


This is getting a bit bizarre
@Vauban I think its time France steps up the ante.. There is no point depending on USA intelligence or any other third party.. IN a span of last few months, too many innocents folks had lost lives with no fault of theirs.. What @mike2000 is back posted in the article, the religious fanaticism is way too much extreme.. No religion will preach something like that... No religion asks to kill another fellow human... These are some very bad twisted SOBs out there who needs to be exterminated.. They are bringing disrepute to a whole religion following people with their conduct and utter madness...

Well, the U.S, U.K and France often cooperate/help each other during their operations globally. So i don't see anything wrong with France asking for cooperation from the U.S in some fields. Do you think the U.S don't also cooperate/rely on France/U.K and other western allies in some operations?. After all, we three are strong allies.

 

[Vergennes]

French special forces and Burnia faso special forces did a great job to neutralize the threat.
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Burkina police special operatives.

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French special forces operatives near the site.

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@PARIKRAMA @mike2000 is back @Taygibay @flamer84

As they did when they attacked the Radisson Blu in Mali, the militants said their latest raid was done in response to French intervention in the region that has led to the death of Muslims, according to a statement it sent to Mauritania’s al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday.

We killed 30 of the crusaders,” one of the attackers in Ouagadougou said in a recorded message sent to the newspaper. Al-Qaida “will fight against France until the last drop of blood.”

 

[PARIKRAMA]

French special forces and Burnia faso special forces did a great job to neutralize the threat.
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Burkina police special operatives.

View attachment 287527

French special forces operatives near the site.

View attachment 287530
View attachment 287531

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@PARIKRAMA @mike2000 is back @Taygibay @flamer84

Good.. Now Al Qaeda will be wiped out sooner than expected.. Stupid ppl killing innocents in the name of Jihad and then blaming France... I think terrorists are under estimating the might of French ppl.. I for one dont want to rub them in a wrong way... They are probably not very vocal but they are the ones who will get their work done far more logically and rationally. When the time comes they will avenge for every death their citizens and innocents had suffered in terrorists hands.. Its stupid to challenge France really..