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OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Suspected members of Burkina Faso's former presidential guard broke into an armory west of the country's capital on Friday, an official said.
Armed men attacked the warehouse of weapons in Yimdi, outside of Ouagadougou, around 3 a.m., said army spokesman Guy Herve Ye. The men are believed to be elements of the presidential guard, which staged a short-lived coup in September, he said.
No one was hurt in the mayhem, Ye said.
Shots were heard for nearly 30 minutes early Friday, according to two witnesses. It was unclear if weapons were stolen from the armory. Later, it was heavily guarded by soldiers.
After the week-long coup, the transitional government disbanded the presidential guard and arrested its leaders. The elite force was loyal to the former president who was ousted in a popular uprising after 27 years in power.
Authorities arrested some 20 soldiers in December, saying they planned to break the coup leader from prison.
The unrest comes a week after extremists attacked a cafe and hotel popular with foreigners in Burkina Faso's capital, killing at least 30 people.
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