Gunmen Attack French Embassy in Burkina Faso

Gunmen attacked the French embassy in the capital of Burkina Faso on Friday, sparking fears of a fresh high-profile Islamist militant raid in the West African nation that has been rocked by violence from jihadist groups based in neighboring Mali.

The attack on the embassy and the French institute in Ouagadougou was ongoing, the French embassy said on its website, without giving further details. The army has been deployed to the sites where the gunfire broke out, government spokesman Remis Dandjinou said by phone.

There were also reports of fires at several locations in central Ouagadougou, broadcaster Burkina24 reported on its Facebook page, saying the situation was unclear. The U.S. embassy in the city said on its Twitter account it advised residents to seek shelter.

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