A number of assailants attacked a restaurant in Burkina Faso, killing 18 people and hurting ten others
Everything happened around 9 p.m. in Ouagadougou, which is the capital of the West African nation. However, it is still not known how many attackers were involved in the attack, even though the government reported that two were killed. Even so, no claim of responsibility has been made so far.
Attackers closed themselves in the Istanbul restaurant which is located in the center of the city on Avenue Kwame Nkrumah. Security forces operations ended at 5 a.m. this morning.
Minister Remis Dandjinou labelled it as a “terrorist attack” and said that the victims were from different countries, and not from only one. Efforts are being made to identify the victims so that the families can be informed by the authorities.
A security perimeter was established soon after the attack by the Defense and Security forces. More than that, all the roads leading to the Ouagadougou International Airport were closed. All the injured persons were soon transported to the Yalgado Ouédraogo hospital center.
The incident is carefully investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office.
The government requested that citizens “remain calm and respect… safety instructions” and sent its condolences to the families whose members got killed in the attack.
The French Foreign Ministry stood up and immediately issued a statement, urging all its citizens to stay away from the area. It also sent its condolences to the victims’ families and said that it “stands by” the Burkino Faso government “during this painful time.”
