Two killed in attack on Mali holiday resort; Six Dutch unharmed
Two people were killed when an unknown number of gunmen attacked a luxury resort in the African country of Mali on Sunday. Six Dutch were present during the attack, but escaped unharmed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, ANP reports.
The holiday resort Le Campement de Kangaba is popular among Western tourists and expats. The one victim that was killed had French-Gabon nationality, the other came from Angola, according to the Volkskrant. Four people were injured, and 36 others could be rescued unharmed, including the six Dutch.
The security forces in the African country helped bring the situation under control. Four of the attackers were killed, according to the Mali Ministry of Security. "Some terrorists were neutralized", a spokesperson for the Ministry said.
"I am shocked by the attack in Mali so close to the capital of Bamako", Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs said, according to ANP. "There is still a lot of uncertainty at the moment. As far as we know, six Dutch people were present at the time of the attack. These six are safe. I'm in contact with the Mali authorities and the Dutch Embassy in Bamako."
The resort is located in Dougourakoro, east of Bamako. A week ago the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs warned of possible attacks on Western diplomatic missions or other locations visited by westerners in Bamako.
The security situation in Mali has been on a steady decline since 2013, after French forces pushed back armed Toeareg rebels and other extremists, who managed to capture large parts of the country in 2012. The French troops and the UN peace keeping mission - consisting of some 10 thousand men, including 290 Dutch soldiers - could not stop extremists attacking far beyond their traditional strongholds in the North.
