Update: Mali commandoes end hotel seige, hostages freed, 22 people killed

The men are believed to have entered the hotel around 7 a.m local time (0200 EST), at the same time as a car with diplomatic plates, with many guests still in their rooms.

Malian soldiers, police and special forces were at the scene as a security perimeter was set up.

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was in Chad for a summit of regional leaders, cut short his trip to fly home.

Islamist groups have waged attacks in Mali despite a June peace deal between elements of the Tuareg separatist movement in the north and rival pro-government armed groups. The north fell under the control of jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda in mid-2012.

Source: Agencies

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