Gunmen Hold Customers In A Burkina Faso Restaurant Captive And Leave 18 Dead

At least 18 people were killed and ten others wounded after a number of assailants attacked a restaurant in Burkina Faso around 9 PM local time Sunday. The attack took place in Ouagadougou, the capital of the West African nation, the government confirmed in a statement. It’s not known how many attackers were involved, although a press release from the government reported two were killed.Attackers barricaded themselves in the Istanbul restaurant in the center of the city before the operation by security forces ended at 5 AM Monday morning. Burkina Faso Communications Minister called the raid a “terrorist attack,” and said the victims were from a number of countries. There are also reports that two “terrorists” had been killed.Militants have targeted civilians in Burkina Faso previously, most notably in 2016 when attackers raided a luxury hotel in Ouagadougou, shooting some and taking others hostage in a siege that lasted hours and ended with 29 people dead.