Al Queda attacks Hotel
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Al-Qaeda militants struck an upscale hotel and nearby cafe in Burkina Faso’s capital late Friday that are popular with Westerners, taking an unknown number of hostages and forcing others to hide for their lives. Three hours later, gunfire could still be heard as soldiers in an armored vehicle finally approached the area where cars had been set ablaze.
The local al-Qaeda affiliate known as AQIM claimed responsibility online as the attack was ongoing in downtown Ouagadougou at the 147-room Splendid Hotel, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
In a message posted in Arabic on the militants’ “Muslim Africa” Telegram account, it said fighters had “broke into a restaurant of one of the biggest hotels in the capital of Burkina Faso, and are now entrenched and the clashes are continuing with the enemies of the religion.”
Witness Vital Nounagnon told the AP that he saw four men attack the hotel and neighboring Cappuccino Cafe about 7:30 p.m. Another witness who gave only his first name, Gilbert, said that when Burkinabe security forces first arrived, they turned around rather than confront the attackers.
http://nypost.com/2016/01/15/al-qaeda-attacks-hotel-in-burkina-faso-popular-with-westerners/