Bamako -
The deadly siege at the Byblos hotel in North eastern Mali, where a number of South Africans were registered, has ended.
After more than a day's standoff between Islamist militants and Malian forces at the hotel in Sevare, 600km north-east of the capital Bamako, calm has been restored.
Malian authorities have not as yet released the identities of the dead, and the South African Department of International Relations is awaiting confirmation as to whether any of the South Africans were among the fatalities.
It is believed that one of the staff members of the Gift of the Givers were among those in the hotel.
The attackers had taken a number of foreign guests as hostages, while gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades had been launched at the hotel.
In addition to South Africans, other foreigners at the hotel included Russians, Ukrainians, and French nationals.
The rescue operation by the Malian security forces was supported by the French military.
Sevare is considered a key location and trading hub that serves the historic riverside city of Mopti.
This is the first time that the town has been hit by such an attack, as militants have previously targeted places such as Gao or Timbuktu.
The attack surprised residents who have experienced relative security given the presence of soldiers, police, and UN peacekeepers at the nearby military base in Mopti, that used to be the international airport.
Islamist militants have stepped up their campaign against the Malian security forces and UN peacekeepers, and according to a local army commander, the attackers are believed to be affiliated with the Macina Liberation Movement. According to Human Rights Watch, the Islamist armed group has been operating in central Mali, and has committed serious abuses in the course of its military operations against security forces.
This is the third assault in Mali in just over a week, with 11 Malian soldiers having been killed on Monday in an attack on a military camp in Timbuktu, and two more killed near the border with Mauritania.
Independent Foreign Services