Gunfire and an explosion have erupted in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou with witnesses saying they have seen armed men opening fire near the army headquarters and the French embassy.
The French ambassador has said that the explosion in the city was a terrorist attack as he tweeted that “An attack is under way”.
A statement on the French embassy’s Facebook page said it cannot confirm which locations are being targeted.
There are pictures from the scene showing a cloud of black smoke in the sky as information about those behind the violence is still unclear.
Burkina Faso’s national police has said that special forces are in action to deal with the situation. And a statement from the government said four assailants have been “neturalised”.
Burkina Faso’s Defence Minister Jean-Claude Bouda has said it is a “terrorist attack on the staff, and the embassy of France.”
Suspected jihadists last August killed at least 18 people in a raid on a restaurant in Ouagadougou. These militants have targeted Burkinabe security forces in areas close to Mali.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) also claimed responsibility for an attack on a restaurant and hotel in Ouagadougou in January 2016 in which 30 people were killed.
Source: Africafeeds.com
