Five Ivorian soldiers killed in Abidjan twin attacks

Gunmen killed five soldiers in two attacks early Sunday, on a police station and an army position in Abidjan, Defence Minister Paul Koffi Koffi told AFP.

Three members of the armed forces were killed in an attack on a police station in the Yopougon neighbourhood, while two others died in an attack on a nearby army position moments later, he said.

"Six people arrived in a taxi in military fatigues, heavily armed and opened fire," apparently in a bid to free some people who had been arrested Saturday, Koffi said.

"The exchange of gunfire took place for several minutes," said a police officer, adding that the attack had happened at around 0200 GMT.

"A few minutes later, (the attackers) went a little further to a control post" held by the army and opened fire without warning, killing the two soldiers, he added.

They thought that the same group had carried out both attacks.

Witnesses said the area was being patrolled by security forces.

The Yopougon district of Abidjan was the site of fiere fighting during the the post-electoral crisis of December 2010 to April 2011 that claimed 3,000 lives across the country.

That crisis was sparked by the refusal of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo to admit defeat to current leader Alassane Ouattara in elections.

While security has improved in Ivory Coast since the end of the conflict, political tensions continue to spark violence, particularly in the western part of the country.

On July 20, at least 11 people were killed and dozens of others injured in attacks in Duekoue, in the west, an area long beset by ethnic tensions.

And in early June, several villages south of Duekoue also came under attack, close to the border with Liberia. More than 20 people were killed, including seven UN peacekeeping troops from Niger serving with the UN mission in Ivory Coast.

The attacks were blamed on supporters of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, based in neighbouring Liberia.

Ouattara's government has been trying to disarm and reintegrate fighters involved in both sides of the conflict into the Ivorian army to reduce the violence.

In a statement on Saturday, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, a principal ally of Ouattara's government, called for this integration process to be speeded up.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/five-ivorian-soldiers-killed-abidjan-twin-attacks-152057133.html

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