BAMAKO: Around 80 of the 170 hostages held by unknown gunmen at the Radisson hotel in Mali's capital Bamako have reportedly been freed a short while ago.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had confirmed that there are 20 Indians among the hostages held by unknown gunmen at the Radisson hotel in Mali's capital Bamako.
The number of Indians among those freed is yet to be known.
According to reports, unknown gunmen have held around 170 hostage at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the centre of Mali's capital, Bamako, with three hostages reported to have been killed.
A security source earlier today said that there was gunfire early in the morning, adding that it was an attempt to take hostages.
The police have arrived and sealed off the area.