PHOTOS: Burkina Faso hotel siege ‘over’ amid reports of new attack

• Posted on January 16, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

A siege is over at a Burkina Faso hotel seized by suspected Islamist gunmen, the government says, but reports say a nearby hotel is now under attack.

In all, 126 hostages were freed at the Splendid Hotel in the West African state’s capital, Ouagadougou, the interior minister said.

Three gunmen were killed, he added, amid reports of 20 deaths during the attack, which also targeted a cafe.

French special forces are helping local troops in the security operation.

French President Francois Hollande has condemned the “odious” attack on the former French colony.

The Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group says it carried out the attack.

In November, an AQIM attack on a hotel in the Malian capital Bamako left 19 people dead.

Gunmen attacked the Splendid and the nearby Cappuccino cafe on Friday evening, setting off several explosions. Both places are popular with UN staff and foreigners.

An unnamed security source told AFP news agency that 22 people had been killed in the attacks while hospital chief Robert Sangare quoted survivors as saying at least 20 people had died.

Interior Minister Simon Compaore said 10 bodies had been found on the cafe terrace.

He added that 33 of the freed hostages were injured. Among those freed was the country’s Minister of Public Works, Clement Sawadogo.

As the end of the siege was being announced, reports came in that gunmen had taken up position at the Yibi hotel, a short distance away on the same street in Ouagadougou.

Remi Dandjinou, the Burkinabe communications minister, told the BBC earlier that between six and seven gunmen had attacked the Splendid, adding that they had been staying at the hotel as guests.

Interior Minister Compaore described the three gunmen killed as two black Africans and an Arab.

Burkinabe soldiers ringed the Splendid

French soldiers also took part in the operation

French police officers helped tend to the wounded

New president

Burkina Faso recently held its first presidential election since a coup earlier last year with Roch Kabore taking office.

That coup toppled long-time leader Blaise Compaore, who had governed for 27 years.

“We are still in a context of political fragility, so I think the timing of this attack is meaningful,” Cynthia Ohayon, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, told the BBC from Ouagadougou.

“The country has long borders with Mali and Niger, and we know there are armed groups present on the border, so this was probably something we had coming.”

– BBC