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Restaurant attack leaves 20 dead in Burkina Faso

Suspected Daesh terrorists opened fire at a Turkish restaurant in the capital of Burkina Faso late Sunday, killing at least 20 people in the second such attack on a restaurant popular with foreigners in the last two years.

Anadolu Agency WORLD
Published August 14,2017
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At least 20 people have been killed and several others injured in an attack on a restaurant in Burkina Faso's capital, police said Monday.

The attack started when "three or four" gunmen pulled up on motorbikes at the Aziz Istanbul restaurant in Ouagadougou at around 9.30 p.m. (2130GMT) Sunday and started shooting.

Communications Minister Remis Dandjinou told state broadcaster Radio Television du Burkina that three attackers were later killed by security forces.

The police operation lasted until early Monday morning.

Dandjinou described the incident as a "terrorist attack". No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Local journalist Francois Brado told Anadolu Agency that police said the victims were of different nationalities, including French and Turkish.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement that one of the victims was Turkish.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that a Turkish citizen was among the dead and another one is among the injured," the ministry said in a statement.

"We strongly condemn the terrorist attack that happened in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou yesterday evening, which caused the death and injury of scores. We convey our condolences to families of victims and wish a speedy recovery to the brotherly Burkina Faso people."

Paris prosecutor's office will investigate the deadly attack as one French national was among the victims, the office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron phoned his counterpart in Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Kabore to convey his condolences, according to a statement on the presidential website.

The European Union also condemned the attack in a statement, saying that the bloc was determined to fight against "this common threat".

In January 2016, 30 people were killed in a similar attack on the Splendid hotel in Ouagadougou perpetrated by al-Qaida-linked militants.