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Gunmen attack military post in northwestern Burundi: army

10 March 2015 02:10 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Gunmen attacked a military post on Sunday night in Burundi's Rukoko natural reserve, some 15 km west of the capital Bujumbura, an army spokesman told Xinhua on Monday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"Armed people last night attacked a military post at the 9th Avenue in Rukoko natural reserve in Gihanga commune. They exchanged gunfire for about five minutes, but no damages were made on our side," said Burundian Army Spokesman Colonel Gaspard Baratuza.

According to him, soldiers did not pursue the gunmen.

"Since this (Monday) morning, soldiers are pursuing those gunmen who fled in the direction of Rusizi River making border with the Democratic Republic of Congo," said Col. Baratuza.

He said the armed people who have not yet claimed the attack are just "criminals" who were not intending to take control of the military post because soldiers at the military post were heavily armed to be dislodged.

Military posts in Burundi's Rukoko natural reserve have been targets of attacks by gunmen, who also use the reserve as hideout. In March 2014, a dissident wing of the National Liberation Forces, an armed group has laid down its arms to become a political party, attacked a military post in the area, allegedly killing 12 soldiers.