Burkina Faso under attack

 Gunmen have launched twin attacks in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, against the French embassy and army headquarters.

Eight security personnel and eight attackers were killed in the fighting while 80 people including civilians, were wounded, officials say.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said there was no doubt it was an act of terrorism.
It is was not immediately clear who had carried out the attack.

Burkina Faso Security Minister Clement Sawadogo said there had also been a suicide car bomb attack at the military HQ that may have intended to target a regional anti-terrorism meeting.
A room was destroyed by the blast, he said, but the meeting had been moved to another location.
Burkina Faso police said in a statement that units had fanned out across the city to increase security and urged people to remain vigilant.

This is the third major attack Ouagadougou has seen in the past two years. Islamist militants said they had carried out the other two.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it was behind an attack on a restaurant and hotel in Ouagadougou in January 2016 that killed 30 people.

Credit: BBC