Panic in Sierra Leone amid fresh gunfire following attacks on military barracks
By Nimi Princewill, CNN
(CNN) — Fresh gunfire was heard in a suburb of the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, on Tuesday as security forces combed through the city in search of suspects linked to a jailbreak and a foiled attack on a military barracks that left more than 13 people dead.
Residents of Freetown said on social media that a fresh round of gunshots was heard on Tuesday afternoon in the Murray Town suburb. Sierra Leone’s information ministry said no one was hurt during the shooting.
“As part of ongoing operations to apprehend those responsible for the incidents of November 26th, a few shots were fired around the Murray Town barracks vicinity,” the ministry said in a statement Tuesday. “The person of interest has been arrested and is now in custody of the security forces,” it added.
Freetown-based journalist Umaru Fofana also said in a post on Facebook that in the Kingtom area of the city, “the presence of soldiers … caused panic” on Tuesday as they moved to recapture fleeing inmates who are “believed to be hunkering down around the slums” in the area.
Manhunt launched
Police in the West African nation have launched a manhunt to recapture dozens of fleeing inmates who were set free after armed men stormed a prison and other detention centers in Freetown early Sunday.
“Thirteen soldiers were killed in action,” Sierra Leone’s army spokesman Colonel Issa Bangura told CNN Tuesday of the botched attack on the army base.
“Eight (soldiers) were wounded and three assailants were arrested,” Bangura said, adding that the death toll could be as high as 20.
A police statement said some of the inmates who escaped during the jailbreak have turned themselves in but did not provide the number of prisoners who fled. Prison officials estimate that the number of fleeing inmates could be above 1,800.
A cash reward has been offered for tip-offs leading to the arrest of either the assailants or prison escapees.
A nationwide curfew was imposed following the series of attacks on Sunday, leading to widespread flight disruption at the Freetown International Airport.
Authorities reviewed the curfew hours on Monday, saying it would now run from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily local time, “until further notice.”
“Airport operations will be conducted within the parameters of the revised curfew times,” the country’s aviation authority said.
President Maada Bio described the attempted raid on the army barracks as an “attack on democracy” in the West African nation, which has grappled with a political crisis since the conclusion of a disputed general election in June.
Police said investigations are ongoing to unravel establish the motive behind the attacks, which were swiftly condemned by the United States, European Union, and regional bloc Ecowas.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
