Two gunmen were killed in the Mali hotel siege in Bamako, the Malian military has announced.
Mali's Presidency has tweeted thanking the country's defense and security forces as well as "friendly countries" for their assistance in tackling the hostage crisis at the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali's capital Bamako.
A Belgian diplomat was among those killed in the Mali hotel siege.
The U.S. Africa Command has tweeted information about the role of the small team of U.S. troops who are assisting Malian forces at the Radission Blu hotel siege in Bamako.
While reports are suggesting that the gunmen who stormed the Radisson Blu are no longer holding any hostages there, a foreign security source has told AFP that 18 bodies have been recovered from the hotel.
Mali's security minister says the hotel gunmen are "holding no more hostages."
The U.S. Embassy in Mali has released a new security message via its Facebook page.
The Embassy is advising Americans to continue "sheltering in place" and to refrain from movement around Bamako, Mali's capital.
The death toll from last week's Paris attacks has risen from 129 to 130, France's Prime Minister has said.
Analyst and former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Ali H. Soufan comments on the breaking news that Al-Mourabitoun and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have reportedly claimed responsibilty for the Mali hotel attack.
The attack in Mali comes a week after IS militants carried out a series of coordinated attacks in Paris.
Al-Mourabitoun, a jihadist group affilliated with Al-Qaeda, has posted a message on Twitter saying that it was behind the attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Malian capital Bamako.
The statement has not yet been verified.
Al-Mourabitoun comprises mostly Tuaregs and Arabs from northern Mali.
Al Jazeera is reporting that Al-Mourabitoun say they carried out the attack in collaboration with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM) Sahara Emirate. The militants are reportedly demanding the release of "mujahedin" -- jihadi fighters -- from prisons in Bamako.