An explosion has rocked Burkina Faso’s army headquarters in the capital, Ouagadougou this Friday and black smoke could be seen billowing above the buildings.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast but witnesses at the scene disclosed that masked gunmen with backpacks attacked the army headquarters shortly after the explosion.

The French ambassador to Burkina Faso whose embassy is located near the army headquarters tweeted a warning to French citizens in the country even as the United States equally warned its citizens to stay away from the affected areas.

Burkina Faso, like other West African countries has been frequently targeted by jihadist groups operating across the Sahel region.

Suspected jihadists had on August last year killed at least 18 persons during a raid on a restaurant in Ouagadougou even as militants have frequently targeted Bukinabe security forces along its remote northern border with Mali.