Gunmen attack EU military training base in Mali capital

Gunmen on Monday attacked a hotel in Mali’s capital Bamako that had been converted into a base for a European Union military training operation, but there no casualties among the mission’s personnel.

A witness said the attack targeted Bamako’s Nord-Sud Hotel, headquarters for the mission of nearly 600 EU military personnel deployed to Mali to train its security forces.

“The attackers tried to force through the entry and the guards posed in front of the entrance opened fire. One attacker was killed. The gunfire continued for several minutes,” he said.

The mission confirmed the attack on its Twitter feed.

“EUTM-MALI HQ has been attacked. No EUTM-Mali personnel has been hurt … during the attack,” it said, adding that the mission and Malian security forces had deployed and were securing the area.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said Malian forces were on the ground at the scene of the attack but had no further details on the incident.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Dozens of people were killed in an attack in November on Bamako’s Radisson Blu hotel claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

The group also targeted a beach resort town in Ivory Coast earlier this month, killing 19 people.