An attack by gunmen on a Turkish restaurant that began late on Sunday left at least 18 people dead and eight wounded in the capital of Burkina Faso, a West African country that has seen a surge in violence by armed groups over the past few years. Al Jazeera reports.
The figure was released early on Monday by Burkina Faso’s communications minister Remi Dandjinou.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the violence, which continued into early Monday.
Dandjinou told state TV security forces had killed three attackers and that there were still people trapped in the building, according to the Reuters news agency.
Security forces were at the scene with armoured vehicles, as reports of shots fired near an upscale restaurant in Ouagadougou.
Police spokesman Guy Ye told AP that the target of the attack was a Turkish restaurant known as Aziz Istanbul.
Witnesses told AFP news agency that three armed men arrived in a 4×4 at around 9:30 pm (21:00 GMT) and opened fire on customers seated outside the restaurant.
At least one of those killed was a Turkish national, according to Turkey’s foreign ministry.