The capital of Burkina Faso has come under attack by suspected Islamist terrorists, police say.
Explosions and heavy gunfire rocked Ouagadougou this morning, with pictures of the scene showing “a large cloud of black smoke in the downtown area” above the army headquarters and the French embassy, Al Jazeera reports.
The government said four attackers have been killed by specialist security forces, and operations are ongoing in the area.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The number of casualties is unclear, but reports suggest that several people have been wounded.
Communications Minister Remy Danjuinou told the Associated Press (AP) that Islamic extremists targeted both the French embassy and the Burkina Faso army headquarters, which are half a mile apart.
France’s ambassador to the Sahel region of Africa, Jean-Marc Chataigner, described the incident as a “terrorist attack” on Twitter. “Solidarity with colleagues and friends in Burkina Faso,” he said.
Witnesses say five attackers drove up to the embassy in a pick-up truck, shouted “Allahu Akhbar” and then set fire to the truck and began shooting, AP reports.
Burkina Faso has suffered a history of Islamist violence, with most of the attacks taking place in the remote northern border region with Mali.
However, in recent years militants have moved to targeting the capital. Last year, suspected jihadists killed at least 18 people during an attack on a restaurant in Ouagadougou. In 2016, al-Qa’eda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for an attack on a hotel that claimed the lives of 30 people.
The former French colony is an important regional base for French special forces, as well as an important US ally in the fight against groups affiliated with Islamic State in West Africa.
Last month, the EU announced it will double its funding for the G5 Sahel military force, which combats armed groups across the region.
-
How the ‘British FBI’ will workThe Explainer New National Police Service to focus on fighting terrorism, fraud and organised crime, freeing up local forces to tackle everyday offences
-
The best family hotels in EuropeThe Week Recommends Top kid-friendly hotels with clubs, crèches and fun activities for children of all ages – and some downtime for the grown-ups
-
Moon dust has earthly elements thanks to a magnetic bridgeUnder the radar The substances could help supply a lunar base
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
West Africa’s ‘coup cascade’The Explainer Guinea-Bissau takeover is the latest in the Sahel region, which has quietly become global epicentre of terrorism
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
