Sierra Leone has declared a nationwide curfew after gunmen attacked a military barracks in the capital, Freetown.
The development comes after months of post-election unrest in the West African nation.
Sierra Leone’s government in a statement on Sunday said they had repelled the attack at the military’s main Wilberforce barracks and were in control of the situation.
Witnesses told the AFP news agency and reported by Aljazeera Media Network that they heard heavy gunfire and explosions in the capital early on Sunday morning, while a video shared on social media appeared to show plumes of smoke rising from the streets.
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Meanwhile, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio confirmed the security breach in a statement on his official X social media account on Sunday, blaming a group of “renegades” for the attack.
Aljazeera also quoted Bio as saying that calm had been “restored” and security forces were continuing to “root out the remnant of the fleeing renegades”.
He urged all citizens to unite to protect democracy in the West African country.