Three more killed as rebels continue shelling Bujumbura

Three more people were killed and several others were injured as rebel attacks continued on Thursday on the Burundian capital, Bujumbura. The deaths brought to 37 the number of people killed since attacks on the city began on Monday. At least six bombs fell on the city on Thursday, an eyewitness told IRIN. The rebels were reported to be shelling the city from neighbouring hills. "One bomb fell in quartier asiatique, killing two watchmen; another bomb caused the beheading of a cyclist near the cathedral in the town centre, the rest of the bombs hit houses," the eyewitness said. Army Chief of Staff Brig-Gen Germain Niyoyankana told reporters that heavy fighting continued in the hills surrounding Bujumbura between government troops and fighters loyal to Agathon Rwasa's faction of the Forces nationales de liberation (FNL). He said the army had driven the rebels out of the city, killing several of them in the process. "The rebels attempted to come down again to Musaga suburb [southern Bujumbura], the army repulsed them back to the hills, many rebels were killed and a large number of weapons seized including eight bombs, several hand grenades and 12 sacks of bullets," he said. However, FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana dismissed the army's position, saying that the fighters were still in the capital. "We went nowhere, we are still around the southern suburbs, the proof is the shelling of this Thursday morning in downtown, this means that we are not too far from the capital," he said. "Talking about FNL combatants killed or ammunition seized is a lie." He added that the FNL was ready to stop fighting once government troops ceased attacks against it and representatives of the Tutsi community agreed to hold talks with FNL. "We will pursue war but if they stop, we will stop too," he said. The number of civilians killed in the latest round of fighting has not been confirmed. Hundreds of residents of the city's southern suburbs have been injured and an estimated 10,000 have fled their homes since the fighting began. At the same time, the government has extended by three hours a curfew it had imposed since the fighting began. Instead of 00:00 until 06:00, the curfew now runs from 21:00 to 06:00.