Guinea Bissau army chief killed in attack on headquarters

Nairobi/Bissau, Guinea Bissau  - The head of the army of Guinea Bissau, General Batista Tagme Na Wai, was killed in an attack on the army headquarters in the capital Bissau, news reports said Monday.

At least five people were injured in the explosion on the compound which occurred late Sunday evening and destroyed part of the building, the BBC reported.

Army officers of the small West-African state then ordered two private radio stations to cease broadcasting in order to "protect the journalists."

The reasons behind the attack remain unclear. Guinea Bissau, one of the world's poorest countries, has a history of coups, and also serves as a main hub for South American drug cartels. A number of Colombian drug lords own prime real estate in the country.

President Joao Bernardo Vieira in November survived a gun attack at his home. A special militia drawn up to protect the president was dissolved again in January after reports that some of its members plotted to murder Vieira. (dpa)

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