Survived Burkina Faso Attack Narrates Ordeal

A woman who survived the Cappuccino restaurant assault told how she had to "play dead".

 "We had just placed our meal orders in Cafe Cappuccino and around 15 minutes later we heard gunshots," she told the Associated Press, from hospital.

"They started to shoot at everyone. We dropped to the ground and as soon as anyone raised their heads they fired at them immediately. We had to play dead.

"They shook people by the foot to see if they were alive or not, and, if they were alive, they shot them.

"They were shooting on the ground floor and then went upstairs and shot downwards as well, and continued shooting.

"When they went upstairs they set the place on fire and left via the roof.

"The room was completely on fire and it was impossible to breathe.

"It was difficult and even in the smoke as soon as you tried to escape through the door they were there and started shooting immediately."

Robert Sangare, the head of Yalgado Ouedraogo hospital in the city, told the AFP news agency that one European woman who was taken to his hospital said the gunmen appeared to target white people.

Dozens of French troops arrived overnight from neighbouring Mali to help.

A US defence official said one US military member was providing "advice and assistance" to French forces.

Burkina Faso, a largely Muslim country, has endured bouts of political turmoil since 2014 when veteran president Blaise Compaore was overthrown in a popular protest.