Clashes leave 5 dead in Burundi

At least five persons including four assailants and one policeman were killed in a fighting that happened Wednesday at Mutakura in Cibitoke neighborhood in the Burundian capital Bujumbura, the Burundian police spokesman has told Xinhua.

"Four assailants and one policeman were killed during a fighting that opposed police agents to assailants at Mutakura in the urban commune of Cibitoke. During the operation, ten assailants were injured, many of them seriously," said Burundian National Police Spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye.

According to him, the operation started around 09:00 (07:00 GMT) and added that 25 assailants were captured during the operation.

Nkurikiye indicated that several arms including three guns of various types, three mortar shells, three grenades and ammunition were seized from the assailants.

Violence is mounting in the aftermath of Monday's legislative and communal polls boycotted by the opposition.

Cibitoke is one of the four neighborhoods in the capital Bujumbura where protests against the third term bid of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza took place on April 26, one day after the Burundian ruling party designated Nkurunziza to be its candidate for the presidential election.

Burundi is to hold the presidential election on July 15 and senatorial elections on July 24. Endi