HEAVY gunfire was heard in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, yesterday during general elections to end military rule. Security sources said the shooting was coming from Wilberforce army barracks.
Residents contacted by telephone said explosions from mortars and heavy automatic weapons could be heard from the barracks areas. "It sounds like firing between two different groups," one said. No further details were immediately available.
Earlier in the day, a salvo of rocket propelled grenades disrupted multi party elections in Bo, Sierra Leone's second town, forcing all but two of the 55 polling stations there to close, residents said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries from the early afternoon attack, but residents said the aim appeared to be to scare off voters.
There was no immediate comment from the military government or rebels of the Revolutionary United Front who took up arms in 1991 and have said they want peace before elections are held.
The identity of the attackers was not immediately clear.
Fighting broke out around Bo on Saturday. Witnesses said it was unclear whether renegade soldiers or rebels were to blame.
In the capital, Freetown, huge crowds had queued at polling stations to elect a democratic government to end nearly 20 years of military or one party rule.