Burkina Faso Attack: 7-hour curfew imposed on the country

A curfew has been put in place in the Burkina Faso capital Ouagadougou from 2300 GMT to 0600, France’s ambassador to the country said on Saturday, as suspected Islamist gunmen held hostages at a hotel in the capital.

Gilles Thibault said on his Twitter account the attack in its former colony was ongoing and that the embassy had set up a crisis unit for its citizens.

More than 3,500 French nationals live in the country, according to foreign ministry data.

Describing the assault on the Splendid Hotel in the capital’s business district as a “terrorist attack,” the embassy had earlier told French nationals to stay at home and avoid the area.