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| Burkina Faso attack: Gunmen strike in Ouagadougou | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gunmen have launched an attack in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, with the French embassy and a military headquarters the apparent targets. | |
| Burkina Faso's government said four attackers had been killed at the embassy and three at the military HQ. | |
| Witnesses reported seeing armed men getting out of a car and opening fire before heading towards the embassy. | |
| A French diplomatic source quoted by Agence France-Presse said the situation at the embassy was now under control. | |
| Pictures from the scene show a cloud of black smoke rising into the sky. It is unclear who is behind the violence. | Pictures from the scene show a cloud of black smoke rising into the sky. It is unclear who is behind the violence. |
| The national police have issued a statement saying special forces are in action. | The national police have issued a statement saying special forces are in action. |
| Ouagadougou Mayor Armand Béouindé told France's Le Monde newspaper that the attackers shot at the town hall and his office windows were shattered. "Apparently, it is a jihadist attack," he said, but gave no further details. | |
| One witness, Omar Zombre, told local TV: "We saw four people who were trying to enter the embassy on the east side. They were in civilian attire, with a kind of vest and backpacks with Kalashnikovs which were clearly visible. | |
| "So they tried, but they didn't manage it and so they tried to enter from the west side. We saw that they had set a car on fire. When we went up [to the roof] we heard gunshots from an automatic weapon, [it was] very intense." | |
| French President Emmanuel Macron was being kept up-to-date, said the Elysée Palace in Paris. He has urged French nationals in the country to follow the embassy's advice and stay away from troubled areas. | |
| French forces based in the country have also been deployed. | |
| The city's military barracks and the embassy - which is also near the prime minister's office - are about one kilometre apart. | |
| The US embassy in the city has advised people to seek shelter. | The US embassy in the city has advised people to seek shelter. |
| Ouagadougou has suffered two major attacks by Islamist militants in the past two years. | |
| The West African country also saw a failed coup in 2015. The trial for dozens of the alleged perpetrators began earlier this week but was suspended after defence lawyers walked out in protest against the military court. | The West African country also saw a failed coup in 2015. The trial for dozens of the alleged perpetrators began earlier this week but was suspended after defence lawyers walked out in protest against the military court. |
| Are you in the area? If it is safe for you to do so you can share your experiences with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in the area? If it is safe for you to do so you can share your experiences with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| You can also contact us in the following ways: | You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or please use the form below: | Or please use the form below: |