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Gun shots and explosions which rocked Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso on Friday was an attack targeting the French embassy, the French cultural centre and the army headquarters, an AFP reporter and witnesses said

They said five men got out of a car and started shooting passersby before heading towards the embassy in the city. Heavy exchanges of gunfire was heard by an AFP reporter. The car said to have been used by the attackers was seen on fire and picture from the scene showed a cloud of black smoke billowing to the sky.

The French ambassador to the country tweeted: "An attack is under way."

The police special forces and army units were deployed to the area. French forces in the country were also deployed.

A message on the French embassy's Facebook page later said: "Uncertain at this stage which places are targeted" but maintained its advice for people to stay indoors.

The French president Emmanuel Macron was being kept up-to-date in real time according to the Elysée Palace in Paris.

The mayor of Ouagadougou, Armand Béouindé told France's Le Monde newspaper that the attackers shot at the town hall and his office windows were shattered. "Apparently, it is a jihadist attack," he said, but gave no further details.

Speaking to Radio France, a witness said, "The shooting has calmed down since but there are still sporadic shots".

Ouagadougou has suffered two major attacks by Islamist militants in the last two years: on the 15 January 2016, 30 people were killed in a jihadist attack on a hotel and restaurant in the city centre which included six Canadians and five Europeans. A group called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb  claimed responsibility. 

Last year on the 13th of August, two attackers opened fire on a restaurant on Ouagadougou's main avenue. 19 people were killed and wounded 21.