A rebel group has claimed responsibility for series of mortar attacks launched overnight on the airport of Bujumbura, Burundi’s economic capital, a day before President Evariste Ndayishimiye was due to fly out for the UN General Assembly in New York.
Africa Daily News, New York reports that the attacks, which did not claim any victims or cause damage, were heard as far away as the city centre late on Saturday.
‘We fired several shells towards the Bujumbura international airport,’ RED-Tabara rebels admitted overnight on Twitter.
‘We also had at least an hour-long exchange of fire with the military in one of the positions protecting the airport.’
An airport official, who refused to be named, told reporters that he heard ‘shell explosions and the firing of automatic weapons’ overnight.
‘We were really scared but it didn’t last long,’ he said.
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‘There is no damage, a Kenya Airways plane even landed this morning without any problem.’
A second airport source, who also would not give their name, said “at least three” mortar shells had reached the airport but caused very little damage.
A diplomatic source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the attack but said it was not disrupting air traffic on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a high-level army official who also wanted to remain anonymous said none of the mortar shells reached the airport.
‘It is a publicity stunt by RED-Tabara on the eve of the departure of his excellency the president to the United States, to get the whole world talking about them,’ he said.
The presidency confirmed Ndayishimiye’s trip on Sunday, but did not mention the incident.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
