The military in Burkina Faso says it has seized power and overthrown President Roch Kaboré.
The announcement was made on state television by an army officer, who said both the government and parliament had been dissolved.
Kaboré’s whereabouts are unclear, but the officer said that all those detained were in a secure location. The coup comes a day after troops seized barracks, and gunshots were heard in the capital.
Earlier, the ruling People’s Movement for Progress (PMP) party said that both Kaboré and a government minister had survived an assassination attempt.
On Sunday, mutinying troops demanded the sacking of military chiefs and more resources to fight Islamist militants.
The army statement cited the worsening security situation and Mr Kaboré’s alleged inability to unite the nation as reasons for overthrowing him, AFP news agency reports.
The statement was issued in the name of a group not heard of previously, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration or MPSR, its French acronym.
Before the announcement, the African Union and the West African bloc Ecowas condemned what they called an attempted coup in Burkina Faso and said they held the military responsible for Mr Kaboré’s safety.
Video from the capital appears to show armoured vehicles – reportedly used by the presidency – peppered with bullet holes and abandoned in the street.
Kaboré has not been seen in public since the crisis began but two posts appeared on his Twitter account before the officer announced he had been toppled.
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