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Gunmen kill 18 in Burkina Faso restaurant

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OUAGADOUGOU: Security forces in Burkina Faso's capital ended an assault yesterday against suspected jihadists who opened fire on a restaurant, leaving at least 18 people dead.

The attack that began on Sunday night in a Turkish restaurant popular with foreigners also left a dozen people injured, while two assailants were later killed, Communications Minister Remis Dandjinou said.

It was not clear how many gunmen were involved.

"The operation has ended" but searches are continuing in the neighbourhood around the restaurant, Mr Dandjinou told a press briefing.

The Istanbul restaurant is just 200m from a hotel and cafe targeted in an assault in January last year that left 30 people dead and 71 wounded, many of them foreigners. That attack was claimed by the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb group.

A police officer said witnesses saw at least two assailants carrying Kalashnikovs and opening fire. Mr Dandjinou had earlier said that "some people were held" by the assailants and that "some were released".

He said the 18 victims included locals and people of different nationalities, including a French and Turkish national.- AFP

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