Rebels, security forces battle in Burundi

Nairobi – Gunmen and security forces clashed in a series of deadly clashes in Burundi, police said Tuesday, the latest violence since the controversial re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza.
At least seven people were killed and 15 others injured in clashes since Monday, the last months of unrest triggered by Nkurunziza successful bid to win a third term.
Attacks have included gunmen firing rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns on security forces in the capital Bujumbura, with the government blaming “criminal gangs.”
On Monday, gunmen threw grenades and opened fire on the security forces, a police officer said, resulting in a shootout in which a civilian was killed. Seven policemen, two soldiers and three civilians were also wounded.
In a separate attack, a government official told AFP that armed men killed at least one policeman in an attack “very violent” in the district of Kamenge, in Bujumbura.
“For nearly an hour, we heard the sound of grenades and rocket explosions, the sound of firearms, including machine guns,” the official, who asked not to be named, said.
Others suggested the number of deaths is much higher, and a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity said that “many were killed from our ranks”, without giving further details.