Eleven people, including seven soldiers, were killed Wednesday in clashes with 15 unidentified gunmen in two military camps in the Ivory Coast near the border with Liberia, said a U.N. source with knowledge of the events.
The West African nation has been attacked by unidentified armed men near its border with Liberia on at least three previous occasions in the past two years, including one assault in January in which two soldiers were killed.
The United Nations deployed helicopters for reconnaissance of the clashes that injured 10 Ivory Coast soldiers, four seriously. The military detained eight assailants, including three from Burkina Faso and one from Togo, the U.N. source said.
Defense Minister Paul Koffi Koffi said on state radio that the situation was under control, adding, "We have reinforced our position."
Four of the gunmen were killed in the clashes, which began at around 5 a.m., according to state radio.
Ivory Coast emerged from a brief civil war in 2011 that capped a decade of political turmoil and has since seen rapid economic growth, becoming a darling for investors.