Reports of fighting in west, southeast

Meanwhile, continuous gunfire was reportedly heard for half an hour on the night of Monday-Tuesday in Nyaruhongoka, Bugarama commune in Bujumbura Rural, western Burundi, the private Burundi NetPress news agency reported. It said security forces were trying to stop a group of “genocidal terrorists” from Ubwari peninsula in the DRC from infiltrating Burundi. It said the death toll following the fighting was not yet known but the assailants who were reportedly aboard three canoes, were forced to turn back. In Rutana, south of Burundi, there have been movements by rebels from Kayogoro in Makamba province to Giharo. NetPress said the movement followed large-scale military operations which have been in progress for some days in Kayogoro commune. The agency pointed out that the low level of water in Maragalazi river on the border between Burundi and Tanzania “allows them [rebels] to infiltrate Burundi and retreat into Tanzania at any time”.