At a terrorist attack in capital of West African state of Burkina Faso, at least 13 people were killed, including six attackers. The news agency AFP reports that re could be up to 30 deaths, most of m soldiers. The attack was directed against headquarters of armed forces, French Embassy and Cultural Institute in capital city of Ouagadougou. Government spokesman Dandjinou said to Radio Omega that one could speak of a terrorist attack. Wher re were also casualties among civilian population was initially unclear.

Previously, mayor of city, Armand Béouindé, told French newspaper Le Monde that it was apparently a stop of radical Islamic jihadists. In afternoon, situation at embassy and Cultural Institute in Ouagadougou was "under control" from environment of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. He told television channel LCI that attackers had been "made harmless". This may mean that y were arrested or killed.

In morning were heard in Ouagadougou shots, presumably from machine pistols, as a reporter of German press Agency reported. Smoke was thus rising at headquarters of armed forces general staff. The police called on people to stay away from neighborhood near prime Minister's office. Military special forces are in use.

The French embassy in Ouagadougou wrote in morning on ir Facebook page that re was an attack underway. The French Cultural institute is located very close to headquarters of General Staff, which was apparently a target of attackers. The embassy is just two kilometres east of it. According to Foreign Minister Le Drian, re were no French casualties.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris updated his travel advice for Burkina Faso and urged citizens to remain on spot until furr notice. French President Emmanuel Macron is attentive to situation and is constantly informed, it was said from Élyséepalast.

Burkina Faso participates in Antiterrortruppe

Most recently, in Ouagadougou, nearly 20 people were killed in an attack on a restaurant last August. The former French colony of Burkina Faso is located in West Africa and borders Sahel. This area is used as a retreat area by terrorist groups associated with al-Qaeda. In January 2016, Islamist extremists had also attacked a popular restaurant, 29 people were killed, about 70 ors were seriously injured.

The armed forces of Burkina Faso want to participate in a new Antiterrortruppe of up to 5,000 people to combat radical Islamists in Sahel. The West African country, with a population of almost 19 million, is one of five poorest countries in world, according to a UN index.

Date Of Update: 03 March 2018, 12:03