Bali: Men shouting “God is great”, armed with guns and throwing grenades stormed into the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali’s capital on Friday morning and seized 170 hostages.

>>Helpline number for Indians in Mali : +223 76409258

The U.S. and French embassies told their citizens in Bamako to take shelter wherever they are.

Following a military coup in 2012, Islamic extremists took control of northern Mali, prompting a French-led military intervention in early 2013 that forced the extremists from northern towns and cities, though the north remains insecure and militant attacks have extended farther south this year.

In March masked gunmen shot up a restaurant in Bamako, located in Mali’s south, that is popular with foreigners, killing five people.

Live updates:

21:16 IST: Malian official tells BFM TV that there are no more hostages being held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Bamako.

20:51 IST: Too soon to say whether Mali situation related to Paris attacks — U.S. envoy

20: 48 IST: Six Americans recovered from Mali hotel under attack, Obama briefed.

20:27 IST: Al-Qaeda affiliated group claim Mali attack.

20:08 IST: All the 20 Indian hostages safely evacuated: MEA (Agencies)