[UPDATE] Sierra Leone Arrests Military Officials Over Alleged Attempted Coup

Authorities in Sierra Leone arrested 13 military officials over an alleged attempted coup following attacks on military barracks.

On Tuesday, residents in a suburb of the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, heard fresh gunfire as security forces combed through the city. They were searching for suspects who were linked to a recent jailbreak and a foiled attack on a military barracks that killed more than 13 people.

Sierra Leone Attempted Coup

On social media, people in the town said that a fresh series of gunfire was heard in the Murray Town suburb. In a statement, Sierra Leone's information ministry said that no one was hurt during that particular shooting.

It added that a few shots were fired around the vicinity of the Murray Town barracks as part of an ongoing operation to apprehend the people responsible for the incidents on Nov. 26. The ministry said that the person of interest had already been arrested and was in the custody of the security forces, as per CNN.

Umaru Fofana, a Freetown-based journalist, posted on Facebook saying that the presence of soldiers in the Kingtom area of the city caused panic among the people. They were in the area trying to recapture fleeing inmates who were believed to "be hunkering down around the slums" in the area.

Law enforcement personnel have launched a manhunt to recapture dozens of fleeing prisoners who were set loose. The situation was the result of armed men storming a detention facility and other centers in Freetown early Sunday.

In a statement on Tuesday, Sierra Leone's army spokesman, Colonel Issa Bangura, said that 13 soldiers were killed in action. The official noted that eight soldiers were wounded and three assailants were arrested, adding that the death toll could be as high as 20.

A police statement revealed that some of the inmates who escaped during the jailbreak have already turned themselves in. However, it did not provide a specific number of prisoners who fled. Prison officials have estimated that the number of fleeing inmates could be more than 1,800.

Overthrowing the Government

Sierra Leone's president, 59-year-old Julius Maada Bio, was re-elected in a tight vote held in June. However, his main opponent rejected his victory, contributing to a tense political atmosphere. Furthermore, according to the New York Times, many international observers allege that the election was not deemed to be transparent.

The violence in the region has exacerbated jitters across the nation, which has endured a series of military coups in the last few years. This comes as many neighboring countries, particularly Guinea and Niger, have lost control of their governments following rebellions by their military juntas.

Officials believe that the attempt to overthrow the government was led mostly by bodyguards of former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma. However, he could not be directly connected to the attack, as investigations are still ongoing.

Information Minister Chernor Bah said that the incident was an attempted coup that sought to subvert and overthrow a democratically elected government illegally. He added that several leaders were later either in police custody or on the run, said the Voice of America News.

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