Burkina Faso ISIS attack: Reports of hostages taken and two dead at hotel 'used by westerners'

Masked gunmen stormed the Splendid Hotel in the capital Ouagadougou, according to reports 

Security forces were preparing to raid a hotel popular with westerners after two people were killed when Islamist gunmen stormed inside and took several hostages.
A city-wide curfew has been put in place in the Burkina Faso capital Ouagadougou from 11pm to 6am local time, France's ambassador to the country said on Saturday.
Car bombs have exploded and gunfire has been heard during the attack which has been claimed by three different militant jihadist groups including ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Masked gunmen stormed the Splendid Hotel in the capital Ouagadougou at around 7.30pm tonight following a series of explosions

Security forces prepare to take on the terrorists hold up in the Splendid Hotel  

The hotel is frequently used by UN staff and Western visitors.
There are reports of hostages being taken.
The Burkina Faso Interior Ministry confirmed at least two people are dead and two injured.
Witnesses said the gunmen stormed the hotel, burning cars outside and firing in the air to drive back crowds before security forces arrived, prompting an intense exchange of gunfire.
Snipers also targeted customers in a coffee shop opposite the hotel, local media reports.
There is no indication of the number of casualties at this time however one source reported seeing at least two bodies.
The official Twitter account for the United States Embassy, situated around 10km away from the Splendid Hotel, wrote: "We are closely following the situation downtown."
The hotel is situated in the centre of Ouagadougou near the city's airport and has 146 rooms.
It is popular with Western tourists and multinational businesses and there were reports it was hosting a conference for the airline industry tonight.


Eyewitness Bagaré Saidou Diallo wrote on Facebook: "The Jihadists were six in number approximately.
"First, they set fire to the vehicles to the surroundings before entering the hotel.
"They are wearing turbans and in masks. They all had beards.
"They said they were acting on behalf of the Islamic State."
Mr Diallo also said there were between 100 to 150 people in the hotel at the time of the attack as many guests were having dinner.

Another eyewitness, named only as Mathieu, said: "I was en route to the Akino Faso hotel, arriving at Kwame Nkrumah I saw some cars coming front the other direction which shot at the hotel.

"When I continued towards the hotel there was a (V8) which blocked the way but there was a small space to pas through so I went through it.
"At the same tome I saw three men in turbans with Kalashnikovs who came out of the hotel and started to shoot at the air about 10metres from me.
"I fled from the situation, but I had the time to see two bodies on the floor outside Cappuccino cafe, they were white people.
"At the same moment, there was an explosion in the hotel.
"It was not a shot, it was an explosion. "

 

Horror: An eyewitness reported seeing terrorists armed with Kalashnikovs storm the hotel

 

Fatal: At least two people are dead and two injured in the attack

"So I circumvented the hotel and tried to look for my mother and ask her if we could go back to hers.
"When I passed Kwame Nkurumah again to leave, a man in front of me took a bullet through his passenger door.
"He opened the door and fell out of his car. A firefighters who passed by had seen him and got out to help him.
"While I looked for a way to escape there was a disturbance in the street and people started shooting to clear people way.
"When I left there was still no order in the place."
The French Ambassador in Burkina Faso Gilles Thibault tweeted: "Terrorist attack on Avenue N'Krumah. Avoid the perimeter."
Flight radar tracking sites also suggested an Air France flight had to divert its path away from Ouagadougou.
Burkina Faso has remained politically unstable since October 2014 when veteran President Blaise Compaore was overthrown in a popular protest.
Two militants killed 20 people from nations including Russia, China and the United States at a luxury hotel in neighbouring Mali in November last year 2015, before being killed by the security forces.
Three Islamist groups including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed that attack, the most prominent by militants who are based in the north of the country and have staged a series of attacks over the last year.