| CNN | - |
(CNN)
Attackers raided a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso overnight, shooting
some and taking others hostage in a siege that lasted hours and ended
with dozens of people dead.
Burkina Faso attack: Dozens dead, scores freed after hotel siege
Story highlights
- Two French nationals among the dead," CNN affiliate BFMTV reports, citing French officials
- "They ... kept shooting at people that seemed alive," survivor says
(CNN)Attackers
raided a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso overnight, shooting some and
taking others hostage in a siege that lasted hours and ended with dozens
of people dead.
An al
Qaeda-linked terrorist group claimed responsibility for the assault at
Splendid Hotel -- a popular meeting place for Western diplomats in the
capital, Ouagadougou.
The
attack began Friday night and dragged on under the cover of darkness.
Security forces circled the perimeter to assess the situation before
they stormed in hours later.
"Everyone
was panicked and was lying down on the floor. There was blood
everywhere, they were shooting at people at point blank," said Yannick
Sawadogo, who survived the siege.
Scurity
forces entered the hotel early Saturday and freed 126 hostages, half of
whom were hospitalized, according to Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister,
Alpha Barry.
Burkina
Faso's Security Minister Simon Compaore said 23 people from 18
countries had been killed. Gilles Thibault, France's ambassador to
Burkina Faso, said 27 were dead.
Two French nationals were among the dead, CNN affiliate BFMTV reported, citing the French Foreign Ministry.
It was unclear whether either death toll included the four attackers -- including two women -- that Compaore said were killed.
Thibault said three attackers died, and none of them were women.
'We could hear them talking'
Survivors described horrific scenes as the attackers paced and fired in the hotel Friday night.
"We
could hear them talking and they were walking around and kept shooting
at people who seemed alive," Sawadogo told CNN affiliate BFMTV.
Sawadogo said he escaped through a broken window, and could barely see because of smoke.
Search for hostages, terrorists
Burkinabe
forces scoured rooms at the hotel, looking for terrorists and any
remaining hostages. Those rescued included a government minister, state
media reported.
The West African
nation's forces received logistical support from American and French
troops. Shortly after the forces stormed the hotel, the sounds of
gunshots faded.
Hotel popular with diplomats
The
attack in Burkina Faso appeared well-planned, with some of the
attackers coming to the hotel during the day and mingling with guests,
the foreign minister said.
When darkness fell, more attackers joined them, he said.
Before
the hotel assault, they attacked the Cappuccino café across the street,
which had about 100 people, according to the state broadcaster.
They then took off to the Splendid Hotel, where they seized hostages.
Witnesses said the attackers wore turbans and spoke a language not native to Burkina Faso, a former French colony.
U.S.
forces helped with logistical support. The United States has about 75
military personnel in Burkina Faso, including 15 assigned to the U.S.
Embassy, according to a U.S. defense official. An additional 60 help
train and advise the French military in the nation.
CNN Map
Terror attack at hotel in Ouagadougou
Al Qaeda claims responsibility
Al
Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the assault,
local media reported. CNN could not independently confirm that claim.
The
al Qaeda-linked Al-Mourabitoun said it conducted the attack, which had
similarities to the one in neighboring Mali in November.
Al-Mourabitoun had claimed responsibility for the November attack at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali, which left 22 people dead.
The group's leader is veteran al Qaeda figure Mokhtar Belmokhtar, according to the Mauritania-based Al Akhbar news agency.
In June, Libya's interim government reported that he died in an American airstrike.
'Odious and cowardly attack'
The attack comes a few months after Burkina Faso marked a turning point following a historic presidential election.
The West African nation elected a new President in November after nearly three decades of autocratic rule followed by a civil uprising.
Roch Marc Christian Kabore, the nation's former Prime Minister, won more than 53% of votes in that election.
Elections were postponed the month before because of a failed coup against the transitional government.
The West, particularly France, considers Burkina Faso a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda.
French President Francois Hollande said he stands with the nation against the "odious and cowardly attack."
The U.S. Embassy also condemned the attack, describing it as a " senseless assault on innocent people."
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