Attack on Military Camp in Burundi: 12 dead

The discovery came after the government said an unidentified group carried out co-ordinated attacks on three military installations.

Yet-to-be identified attackers wearing civilian clothing hit two military installations in Bujumbura, and one in the countryside marking a rise in simmering conflict.

Residents said some of the dead had been rounded up by the police during the day after house-to-house searches on Friday, an allegation the police denied.

Streets were deserted as city residents stayed home and the army and security forces attempted to lockdown the city.

Gunmen launched coordinated pre-dawn assaults on three army bases in Burundi on Friday, sparking a confrontation that left at least a dozen attackers dead in the worst unrest since a failed coup in May.

Burundi has seen months of violence and protests around President Pierre Nkurunziza’s successful bid for a third term.

Burundi’s government said security was under control throughout the city and that President Pierre Nkurunziza, who was participating in a scheduled budget meeting at his office, was safe.

A source in the presidency said a declaration of a state of emergency was under consideration.

Nkurunziza won elections in July for a third term.

It wasn’t immediately clear who had killed them.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks by “groups of unidentified assailants”, his spokesman for Burundi said in a statement, adding that “such acts of violence can lead to a further destabilisation of the situation”.

There were conflicting reports as to how many soldiers were wounded or killed. At least 240 people have been killed since April and about 215,000 have fled to neighbouring countries, according to the UN.

“A failed coup on May 13, many defeated attacks including this one… all their plans against #Burundi fail”, wrote presidential media advisor Willy Nyamitwe.

The attackers wanted to steal weapons and use them to free prisoners, he said.

He said the United States may impose sanctions on others who block peace efforts or resort to violence.