Malian troops take position outside the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako on Friday. Gunmen went on a shooting rampage at the hotel in the capital of Bamako, seizing 170 guests and staff.

After as many as 170 hostages were taken in the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali’s capital of Bamako, some of them have been freed.

According to multiple local reports, at least three people have been killed and more than 20 hostages — and perhaps dozens more — have been freed. But the situation remains both fluid and dangerous.

The reported number of hostages at risk has fluctuated, in part because some guests managed to escape from the hotel and others were released.

Special forces teams have been moving through the hotel floor by floor, freeing hostages, an army officer tells the AP. Onlookers say they’ve been hearing sporadic gunfire as the hostage situation continues.

Several extremist groups currently operate in Mali; it’s not yet clear who might be responsible. Witnesses say they heard the attackers speaking English.

This is a developing story, with conflicting information being reported; we’ll update as news emerges from Mali.

Update at 7:50 a.m. ET: 137 Hostages Currently Held

“According to our latest information 124 guests and 13 employees are still in the building,” the Radisson hotel says in a new statement about the attack.

According to reports from India, the government there says 20 Indians were among the hostages in the capital of the former French colony. The hotel was also hosting 12 Air France employees; the airline says they’re safe, according to Agence France-Presse.

Our original post continues:

Earlier Friday, the hotel released a statement saying people had locked 140 guests and 13 staff members inside, which was cordoned off by security forces after the attack began.

“A senior security source said some of the hostages had been freed after being made to recite verses from the Koran,” Reuters reports.

Citing Malian army commander Modibo Nama Traore, the AP reports:

“Traore said 10 gunmen stormed the hotel shouting “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” in Arabic before firing on the guards. A staffer at the hotel who gave his name as Tamba Diarra said over the phone that the attackers used grenades in the assault.”

International visitors commonly stay at the Radisson Blu hotel, which is in a part of Bamako that’s home to diplomatic missions, business offices, and restaurants. The hotel is less than a mile from the U.S. embassy.

At least seven Chinese tourists are among the guests being held hostage, reports China’s Xinhua news agency.

In its statement, Radisson Blu says the hostages were taken by two people. The hotel is operated by the Rezidor Hotel Group, which has its headquarters in Brussels.

NPR’s Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports:

“Soldiers from France, the former colonial power, have been in Mali since driving out extremist fighters who seized control of the north two years ago. They occupied legendary Timbuktu and other towns and cities for nearly a year. The Sahara Desert nation has since been blighted by insecurity.

“The U.S. Embassy in Mali is tweeting that the mission is aware of an ongoing shooter operation at the hotel and is advising all Americans to take shelter where they are and contact their families.”