Burkina Faso under attack: Smoke fills Ouagadougou sky

An explosion has been heard at Burkina Faso's army headquarters in the capital Ouagadougou and black smoke could be seen billowing above, a witness told Reuters news agency.

We are getting pictures through showing that the smoke from explosions during the unfolding attack on Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou has seemingly completely filled the sky.

People watched as the black smoke rose:

French Embassy: We are not being targeted

The French embassy in Burkina Faso has gone back on its original message that it was a target in the ongoing attack in Ouagadougou, reports news site Le Monde Afrique.

It quotes the embassy as saying that it is not being targeted and that there is "no certainty at this stage on the targeted places".

The news site reports that the embassy had earlier posted, "attack in progress at the French Embassy and the French Institute".

Defence minister: it's a terrorist attack

It is still not clear who is behind the attack on Ouagadougou.

But some people have started calling it a terrorist attack.

Burkina Faso's Defence Minister Jean-Claude Bouda has said it is a "terrorist attack on the staff, and the embassy of France," news site Jeune Afrique reports.

But the French embassy themselves have come out to say they are not being targeted.

In addition police boss Jean Bosco Kienou told Associated Press news agency that events in the capital were "in the form of a terrorist attack".

Four attackers 'neutralised'

A government statement says four assailants have been "neturalised" in the unfolding attack in Burkina Faso's capital.

Neutralised is a word often used by the military to mean "killed" but it is not clear if this is what has happened.

French news site Le Monde Afrique is quoting a source inside the French embassy in Ouagadougou saying five gunmen had tried to enter the embassy but they failed.

The news site had earlier reported that the French embassy had walked back its statement that it had been a target of the attack.

Civilian casualties still unknown

A Burkinabe government statement has said that there are still no details on civilian casualties of the attack in the centre of Ouagadougou, reports Reuters news agency.

'At least four attackers killed' says police

The police service in Burkina Faso has posted on Facebook that at least four assailants involved in attacks in the capital Ouagadougou have been killed:

Various reports suggest that four attackers have been killed at the French embassy and three have been killed at the army headquarters.

It is still unknown how many civilians have died.

The police add in their Facebook post that the stadium in the city has been opened to take care of the wounded.

'Special forces still active'

An elite unit of the Burkinabe army is still active at the scenes of multiple attacks in the capital Ouagadougou by armed assailants, according to a government statement, French news site Le Monde reports.

It adds that a journalist has reported, "sporadic fighting was still being heard".

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