Attack on Burkina Faso Military HQ: What We Know

At least seven people have been killed after masked gun men launched an attack in Burkina Faso capital city, Ouagadougou, the government have said. The attacks were targeted at Burkina Faso's military Headquarters and the French embassy located in the capital. The attack follows the suspension of the trial of 2015's coup plotters this week.

The attacked was launched a few hours ago by the unknown gunmen. It started with an explosion at the headquarters that filled the sky with black smoke. At first, it was not immediately clear what caused the blast. But a witness at the scene told Reuters that masked gunmen with backpacks attacked the army headquarters after the explosion.

Another witness said other smaller explosions came from the headquarters after a first larger blast and that security forces were converging on the scene.

France's special envoy to Africa's Sahel region, Jean-Marc Châtaigner, urged people to avoid the city center in a tweet referring to a "terrorist attack."

Rémi Dandjinou, Burkina Faso's minister of communication, told CNN that an explosive device was used in the attack at the General Staff of the Armed Forces. At least five people were killed and two attackers "neutralized" there, he said.

[caption id="attachment_690" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Security personnel take cover as smoke billows Friday from the French Institute in Ouagadougou.[/caption]

Four attackers were also "neutralized" and two Burkina Faso security members killed at the French Embassy, according to Dandjinou.

He cautioned that the death toll might change.

A spokesman for the French Ministry of Defense told CNN the situation at the embassy was under control.

Freelance journalist Yacouba Ouédraogo, who is in Ouagadougou, told CNN the shooting had stopped and that the people who attacked the army headquarters wore Burkinabé army clothes.

A government statement urged people to keep calm and avoid areas where there might be gunfire.

The French Embassy earlier said on Facebook that attacks were underway there and at the French Institute, a cultural organization about a mile away.

France's ambassador to Burkina Faso, Xavier Lapdecab, urged people via Twitter to act with "absolute precaution" as the attack was ongoing.

Burkina Faso's national police warned people to move away from areas around the "vicinity of the Prime Ministry -- and the United Nations roundabout" in a post on its Facebook page. "The specialized units of the defense and security forces are in action," it said.

[caption id="attachment_692" align="aligncenter" width="780"] People watch as black smoke rises in the capital of Burkina Faso after it came under attack Friday.[/caption]

The Prime Minister's office later posted on Facebook that it was not affected by the attack.

The US Embassy urged people to seek shelter.

"Attacks are reported to be ongoing in downtown Ouagadougou, in the Koulouba area. The affected area includes the Chief of Staff Headquarters. Avoid downtown Ouagadougou. Shelter in place. Monitor local media for updates," it said on Twitter.

Attacks are reported to be ongoing in downtown Ouagadougou, in the Koulouba area. The affected area includes the Chief of Staff Headquarters. Avoid downtown Ouagadougou. Shelter in place. Monitor local media for updates. #lwili

— USEmbassyOuaga (@Usembassyouaga) March 2, 2018

France has a military presence in Burkina Faso as part of Operation Barkhane, which was launched in 2014 to combat jihadist activity across the Sahel region.

The West, particularly France, considers Burkina Faso a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda in the region.

The country was formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta when it was established in 1958 as a self-governing colony under France. It gained full independence in 1960.

[caption id="attachment_693" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Bystanders look on as security personnel move beside an armored personnel carrier in Ouagadougou.[/caption]

It's not the first time that sites in the capital have come under attack.

An attack by gunmen last year on a restaurant in Ouagadougou left at least 18 people dead, including two attackers. The victims were of several different nationalities.

That assault echoed a similar one in 2016 on a cafe and hotel popular with Western diplomats in the same district of the city that left 29 dead. Responsibility for that attack was claimed by an al Qaeda affiliate, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Later that year a jihadist assault on the Grand-Bassam beach resort killed 16 in neighboring Ivory Coast.

CNN