Senior Burundi army officer shot dead near army chief's office

A senior Burundian army officer was Tuesday shot dead near the office of the army chief of staff in the capital Bujumbura.

The dead is Darius Ikurakure, the commander of Muzinda military barrack in the province of Bubanza, some 15 km west of Bujumbura.

"Col. Darius Ikurakure was shot dead inside the compound hosting the office of the army chief of staff," military sources told Xinhua.

Witnesses said Ikurakure was shot dead by a soldier who then ran away.

Ikurakure was in charge of operations against insurgents at the Bujumbura neighborhoods of Mutakura and Cibitoke.

Burundi has been in turmoil since April last year when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would run for a third term, which he later won.

Violence has left more than 400 people dead. Endit