About five gunmen have been reported to have stormed Splendid hotel in Burkina Faso, killing about twenty people and 15 injured. The terrorists are part of the Al-Qaeda cell group, and have targeted the hotel used by United nation staff and foreigners visiting the country.
The gunmen have reportedly invaded the coffee shop in the hotel, burning cars and shooting sporadically into the air to scare away people from the scene of the incident before security forces arrived, prompting an exchange of gunfires.
A senior official of the National gendarmes said;
It is continuing at this time. We are trying to know how many attackers they are to better coordinate our actions. Hostages have been taken.The operation could take several hours.
Injured witnesses have also claimed to have seen at least 20 dead victims wheeled into the nearby hospital, while the injured victims are getting treatment.
Robert Sangare of the hospital have said;
We have received around 15 wounded people. There are people with bullet wounds and people who are injured because of falls.
Three Islamist group including Al-Qaeda claimed the attack, and all flights to Ouagadougou is diverted in a holding pattern.