OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – Authorities in Burkina Faso say the death toll from an attack by suspected jihadists in the capital has risen to 17.
The figure was released early Monday by Burkina Faso’s communications minister Remi Dandjinou.
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Witnesses say that gunmen launched the assault on the Aziz Istanbul restaurant in Ouagadougou late Sunday, with shots heard around 9 p.m.
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Several hours later a heavy exchange of gunfire could still be heard, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
Sunday’s attack comes less than two years after Islamic extremists killed 30 people at a downtown restaurant that is popular with foreigners.