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BAMAKO, Mali — Islamic extremists armed with guns and grenades stormed the Radisson hotel in Mali’s capital Friday, and security forces swarmed in to free guests floor by floor. As evening fell, officials said no more hostages were being held and that at least 27 people had been killed.

U.S. and French special operations forces assisted Malian troops in the swift response to the attack by an unknown number of gunmen. Shooting continued into the late afternoon, and a U.N. official said two attackers had been killed.

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An extremist group led by former al-Qaida commander Moktar Belmoktar claimed responsibility for the siege at the Radisson Blu hotel in the former French colony, and many in France saw it as a new assault on their country’s interests a week after the Paris attacks.

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As people ran for their lives near the hotel along a dirt road, troops in full combat gear pointed the way to safety, sometimes escorting civilians with a protective arm around their shoulders. Later, local TV showed heavily armed troops in what appeared to be a lobby, apparently led by an officer.

At least 27 people were killed in the attack, with 12 bodies found in the basement and 15 found on the second floor, a U.N. official said. But the operations were still going on and the hotel had not been totally cleared, added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the operation was still underway.