Islamist gunmen attack hotel in capital city of Burkina Faso

Explosions were heard coming from the Splendid Hotel in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, the AFP agency reports.

"The explosions took place in a hotel used by UN staff. In addition, the hotel is very popular among foreigners. The attack was allegedly committed by Islamists. During the attack they took hostages. The security forces hastened to the scene. The shooting between the law enforcement officers and criminals was started on the Avenue Kwame Nkrumah, one of Ouagadougou's main thoroughfares," TASS reports with reference to Reuters.

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," a source said.

The French ambassador to Burkina Faso, Gilles Thibault, called the incident a "terrorist attack". "Terrorist attack on Avenue N'Krumah. Avoid the perimeter," he wrote on his Twitter page.

"The Splendid Hotel and the nearby Cafe Cappuccino, which were attacked, are located on one of the busiest streets of the city, Avenue Kwame Nkrumah," Honorary Consul of Russia in Burkina Faso, Anna Rachina Coulibaly, said.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed credit for the assault.

"At least 20 people are believed dead. We have received around 15 wounded people, who are injured because of falls," the director of Ouagadougou's university hospital centre, Robert Sangare, said.

The country's foreign minister, Alpha Barry, said that foreigners are among the dead, 'possibly including Europeans'.

63 hostages, including the Minister of the Civil Service, Labour and Social Security, Clement Sawadogo, have been evacuated from the Splendid Hotel during the operation, Burkina Faso’s minister of communication, Remis Dandjinou, told AFP, adding that the operation continues.