Suspected Islamist Fighters Hold Hostages at Hotel in Burkina Faso Capital

Gunmen stormed the Splendid Hotel in the capital city of Ouagadougou on Friday, burning cars and firing into the air. The head of the area hospital reports that at least 20 are dead.  At least 14 people have been wounded, with three in serious condition."

"At the restaurant that was attacked, six people were killed and multiple others were wounded," Honorary Consul of Russia in Burkina Faso Anna Rachina told RIA Novosti. "There are foreigners [among the dead], possibly Europeans and locals."

"The curfew has been extended from 23 h [23:00 GMT on Friday] to 6 h am [06:00 GMT on Saturday]," French Ambassador to Burkina Faso Gilles Thibault tweeted.

Three individuals are reportedly behind the attack.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has reportedly claimed credit for the attack.

"It is continuing at this time. We are trying to know how many attackers they are to better coordinate our actions," a security officer said. "Hostages have been taken. The operation could take several hours."

The French Embassy in Burkino Faso has classified the incident as a "terrorist attack."

"Serious incidents happened this evening at around 20:30 in the perimeter of Kwame N'krumah Avenue, Cafe Cappuccino, Hotel Splendid," the embassy said in a statement. "In view of the circumstances, the Embassy of France recommends that you go to your home, avoiding the aforementioned perimeter."