DHAKA: A siege is over at a Burkina Faso hotel seized by suspected Islamist gunmen, the government says, but reports say a nearby hotel is now under attack.

In all, 126 hostages were freed at the Splendid Hotel in the West African state's capital, Ouagadougou, the interior minister said, reports the BBC.

Three gunmen were killed, he added, amid reports of 20 deaths during the attack, which also targeted a cafe.

French special forces are helping local troops in the security operation.

French President Francois Hollande has condemned the "odious" attack on the former French colony.

The Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group says it carried out the attack.

In November, an AQIM attack on a hotel in the Malian capital Bamako left 19 people dead.

** Al Qaeda attack kills 20 in Burkina Faso

BDST: 1600 HRS, JAN 16, 2016
RS