2016 Ouagadougou attacks Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==== Counter-attack ==== At 01:00 the next day, the hall was set on fire<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/fr/urgent/20160116-burkina-fasoattaque-hall-lhotel-splendid-feu-journaliste-afp|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116030318/http://www.france24.com/fr/urgent/20160116-burkina-fasoattaque-hall-lhotel-splendid-feu-journaliste-afp|archivedate=2016-01-16|title=Burkina Faso/attaque : hall de l'hôtel Splendid en feu|work=France 24|language=French|access-date=16 January 2016}}</ref> as commandos tried to free an unknown number of hostages, using explosives to enter the building. Two groups of security forces entered the main lobby five hours after the siege began, as gunfire was reported.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/01/16/10/39/gunmen-hold-hostages-in-burkina-faso-hotel#mG2mwm1x1iDLKBrG.99|title=Hostages freed in Burkina Faso raid|work=news|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-date=14 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214124612/https://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/01/16/10/39/gunmen-hold-hostages-in-burkina-faso-hotel#mG2mwm1x1iDLKBrG.99|url-status=live}}</ref> RTB reported intense gunfire for 40 minutes in the direction of the hotel.<ref name="wdsu"/> It further noted that about 33 hostages had been freed<ref name="ib"/><ref name="in">{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/20-dead-in-siege-at-burkina-faso-hotel-islamist-group-claims-responsibility/1/571902.html|title=Burkina Faso hotel attack: 20 killed, 33 hostages freed, Islamist group claims responsibility|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-date=17 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117022640/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/20-dead-in-siege-at-burkina-faso-hotel-islamist-group-claims-responsibility/1/571902.html|url-status=live}}</ref> by security forces, including Minister of Public Services,<ref name="wdsu">{{cite web|url=http://www.wdsu.com/national/gunmen-attack-hotel-in-burkina-faso-capital/37459956|title=Burkina Faso security forces attack hostage-takers at hotel|author=Pierre Meilhan, Basidou Kinda and Ralph Ellis|date=27 August 2014|work=WDSU|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-date=26 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126223939/http://www.wdsu.com/national/gunmen-attack-hotel-in-burkina-faso-capital/37459956|url-status=live}}</ref> Labour and Social Security [[Clément Sawadogo]], according to Dandjinou.<ref name="in"/> Gunfire reportedly subsided after an hour of the counter-attack, while bodies were seen outside the hotel.<ref name="Wesh">{{cite web|url=http://www.wesh.com/national-news/gunmen-attack-hotel-in-burkina-faso-capital/37459956|title=Burkina Faso security forces attack hostage-takers at hotel|author=Pierre Meilhan, Basidou Kinda and Ralph Ellis|date=15 January 2016|work=WESH|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-date=29 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129195921/http://www.wesh.com/national-news/gunmen-attack-hotel-in-burkina-faso-capital/37459956|url-status=live}}</ref> The Splendid Hotel siege ended in the morning<ref name="ib"/> with the release of 176 hostages, according to Compoare,<ref name="bbc16"/> almost half of whom were injured in the process.<ref name="tele"/> A group of U.S. and French soldiers came to the site, while a [[curfew]] was instated from 23:00 to 06:00.<ref name="CNN"/> An unnamed [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Defence Department]] official said that France had requested its intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance support in the city and that at least one military member in the country was giving "advice and assistance" to French forces at the hotel.<ref name="et" /> Dozens of the French forces came in from neighbouring Mali.<ref name="abc"/> French medical teams were sent to provide support, while forensic officers were also sent to the city.<ref name="bbc16"/> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page