Automatic weapon and heavy weapon fire at General Baba Sy’s camp and Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana camp.

The latter houses Maca, a military prison in which General Diendéré, former Chief of Staff of Blaise Compaoré sentenced for an attempted coup in 2015 and also prosecuted in connection with the assassination of the former President Thomas Sankara is imprisoned.

The reasons for the shootings are unknown at this time.

Heavy gunfire could be heard from the main military camp in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou early on Sunday morning, a Reuters witness said.

The gunfire at the Sangoule Lamizana camp, which houses the army’s general staff, began at least as early as 5:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and could still be heard as of 6:30.

A Reuters reporter saw soldiers firing into the air in the camp.

A Government Spokesperson said he also heard gunfire and was seeking information.

Governments in West and Central Africa are on high alert for coups after successful putsches over the past 18 months in Mali and Guinea. The military also took over in Chad last year after President Idriss Deby died on the battlefield.

Burkinabe authorities arrested at least eight soldiers earlier this month on suspicion of conspiring against the government.

Rising violence in the West African country by Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State killed over 2,000 people last year, prompting violent street protests in November calling for President Roch Kabore to step down.

The Burkinabe government has suspended mobile internet service on several occasions, and the tense situation in November led the U.N. special envoy to West Africa to warn against any military takeover.

However, the Burkina Faso Government through its Spokesperson, Alkassoum Maiga denied reports of a coup but confirmed shootings in several Military Barracks in the Country.

Information conveyed in social networks tends to make believe in a takeover by the army on this day January 23, 2022.

The Government while recognizing some shooting in certain barracks denies this information and calls on the population to remain calm. The Government reaffirms her confidence in our army which remains republican.

Strength and courage to our Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and Volunteers for Homeland Defense (VDP).

In same fashion, Defence Minister General Aimé Barthélémy Simporé appearing in a broadcast in the State TV, RTB also denied reports of a coup d’etat. He assured the President was neither detained nor under any threats.

“We don’t know any more about the motivations for these shots. It is ‘limited’ and ‘under control’ and we are investigating the incident,” he said.

 Internet has been disrupted in #BurkinaFaso from Sunday morning ~10 am. The incident comes amid reports of gunfire at military barracks and a possible coup.

The disruption is likely to limit coverage of events on the ground.

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