Burkina Faso: At least 35 people die after a series of terrorist attacks

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At least 35 people have died and 90 more were injured after a series of attacks in Burkina Faso, believed to have been conducted by Islamic extremists.

Seven soldiers were killed in the country's capital Ouagadougou after gunmen opened fire on the French embassy and army headquarters.

Eight of the militants were killed during the attacks in the former French colony and several other people were wounded among the security forces.

It is feared the death toll could rise and five emergency centres have been set up to treat the high number of casualties.

It is not clear how many militants were involved in the violence, which was called a terrorist attack by Jean Bosco Kienou, director general of Burkina Faso's police, and French prime minister Edouard Philippe.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, during which gunfire and explosions could be heard for hours. Workers fled offices near the site of the violence, and helicopters were seen above the embassy.

Witnesses at the state television offices that face the embassy said five attackers arrived in a pickup truck and started shooting after shouting: "Allahu Akhbar." They then set fire to the truck and continued shooting.

The area also houses other embassies, the prime minister's office and United Nations premises.

Across central Ouagadougou to the west, heavy smoke rose from the army joint chief of staff's office, where witnesses reported loud explosions.

The assailants there also arrived in a pickup and starting shooting at soldiers, said Moussa Korbeogo, a trader at a nearby market.

"Some of the soldiers ran into a nearby bank to seek shelter. Several were killed outside and inside the premises," he added.

Five of the extremists were killed at the embassy and at least three were killed near the army headquarters, officials said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Burkina Faso's security forces had been mobilised with the support of the French to "reduce the threat".

Burkina Faso, a landlocked nation in West Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. It shares a northern border with Mali, which has long battled Islamic extremists.

Agencies contributed to this report