Iran has condemned a deadly siege by Takfiri militants at a hotel in the Malian capital of Bamako, extending condolences to the West African country’s government and nation.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber-Ansari on Saturday expressed deep sorrow over the act of terror and hostage-taking and offered Tehran’s sympathy to the bereaved.

Denouncing terrorism as a common threat to the world, the Iranian official highlighted that all countries across the globe must launch a joint effort to fight this “inhumane phenomenon.”

On Friday, armed men carried out a nine-hour siege at the luxury Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako. At least 21 people, mostly foreigners, were killed in the deadly incident.

Gunmen raided the hotel early in the morning, shooting in the corridors and taking 170 guests and staff hostage. The assault ended when Malian and international troops stormed the place.

The attack prompted the Malian government to announce a 10-day nationwide state of emergency on Saturday in addition to three days of national mourning.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated Mali-based al-Mourabitoun group, led by Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, claimed responsibility for the deadly incident.

Security sources have said authorities are now hunting for suspects in the siege.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon slammed the attack, saying the act of violence aimed to destroy peace efforts in Mali.

In August, a similar hostage-taking crisis erupted at a hotel in the central town of Sevare, which led to the deaths of five UN workers and four Malian soldiers.

Mali has been witnessing violence linked to militant activity in its northern region since 2012. The area remains vulnerable to attacks despite a military operation led by France in 2013, which came after the UN Security Council passed a resolution on the deployment of a peacekeeping force known as the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).