BAMAKO, MALI — Malian commandos have killed several Islamic militants who seized a hotel and murdered as many as 27 people in Bamako, the nation's capitol. The gunmen launched their assault at 7 a.m. local time on Friday. Armed with AK-47s, the militants breached the security barrier at the Radisson Blu Hotel and opened fire. According to CNN, two security personnel were injured during the early stages of the attack. The gunmen searched each of the hotel's seven floors and took guests and employees hostage. Around 170 people were trapped inside the building for several hours. Eighty of the hostages were freed by midday and no hostages remained by late Friday afternoon, CNN reported. U.N. peacekeepers told Reuters they found at least 27 dead in the hotel following the siege. Peacekeepers counted 12 bodies on the basement floor and 15 bodies on the second floor. At least two of the gunmen were initially killed in the counterattack launched by Malian authorities and U.N. troops. The remaining gunmen took defensive positions on the top floor of the hotel and exchanged gunfire with Malian special forces over several hours. Al Mourabitoun, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks in Mali, including a terrorist attack on a hotel in Sevare in August.

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