Islamist group al-Mourabitoun on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on a nightclub in Mali's capital which killed five people, including two Westerners, earlier that morning.

Witnesses at the La Terrasse nightclub in Bamako say an African man with a machine gun entered the venue around 1 a.m. Inside he fired indiscriminately at club patrons killing several people, including a Frenchman. A Belgian national was also shot dead outside his home as the gunman and accomplices fled.

Falaye Kante, a senior Malina security official told Reuters, "there were two individuals who were armed and hooded. One burst into the La Terrasse restaurant and opened fire on people. Then he got into a vehicle in which the other was waiting."

"As they fled down a neighbouring street, they shot a Belgian man who was in front of his house. He's dead. Not far away they came across a police vehicle and threw a grenade, killing the driver."

Reuters reports that "Mali's desert north, where French forces wrested control of territory from separatist rebels and Islamist fighters, is plagued by frequent attacks. But this is the first such attack for years in Bamako, located in the south, raising fears the capital will become targeted more often by militants.

"Mauritanian news website Al-Akhbar posted an audio recording on social media of a man it said was a spokesman for al-Mourabitoun, a militant group.

"It was not possible to immediately verify the recording, but the site is frequently used by Islamists operating in the Sahara and Sahel region to publish statements."

----------------------------------------­---------------------

Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.

For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS

Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt-WqkTyKK1_70U4bb4k4lQ?sub_confirmation=1

Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.net
Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj
Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f

Stay connected with us here:
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS
Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS
Google+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUS/
Instagram @tomonewsus http://instagram.com/tomonewsus