Ankara: A Turkish government official has confirmed that five Turkish Airlines personnel are among hostages that have been freed from a hotel in Mali that was stormed by armed gunmen throwing grenades.
The official said Friday that two Turkish Airlines flight attendants are still inside the hotel.
The official said the crew members that were released are a station chief, two pilots and two flight attendants.
It was not clear if they were released by the assailants or freed by the authorities. The official said he was not able to confirm media reports that the hostages were asked to read from Quran during the ordeal.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules that bar civil servants from making media statements without prior authorisation.
