An army officer in Burkina Faso announced, on national television, that he had ousted military leader Paul-Henri Damiba.
Officer Ibrahim Traore cited Damiba’s inability to deal with the Islamist insurgency as the reason for his ouster.
Traore also announced the indefinite closure of the border and the suspension of all political activities.
Damiba’s military junta toppled an elected government in January, citing a failure to stop Islamist attacks.
But his administration has also been unable to quell jihadist violence. On Monday, 11 soldiers were killed while escorting a civilian convoy of cars in the north of the country.
Earlier Friday, Damiba urged residents to remain calm, following heavy gunfire was heard in parts of the capital.
More than 20 armed soldiers – most of them masked – appeared on state television shortly before 20:00 local time.
“Faced with the deteriorating situation, we have tried several times to persuade Damiba to refocus the transition on the security issue,” said the statement, signed by Traore.
“Damiba’s actions have gradually convinced us that his ambitions have shifted away from what we set out to do. Today we have decided to remove Damiba.”
A curfew was also announced from 21:00 to 05:00.
Damiba’s whereregardings are not known.
The United States said it was “extremely concerned” by events in Burkina Faso and encouraged its citizens to limit their movements in the country.
“We call for the return of calm and restraint by all parties,” a US State Department spokesman said.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the move, saying it “reaffirms its explicit opposition to any seizure or retention of power by unconstitutional means.”
Before dawn, gunshots and explosions were heard in the capital, Ouagadougou, some of them coming from near the presidential palace and the main military barracks.
After sunrise, the usually bustling city became largely deserted, with soldiers deployed on the streets to block some roads and guard key strategic points.
State television broadcasts were halted, and more gunshots were heard later in the day.
As rumors of a coup spread, Damiba said there was a “disorderly situation” due to “mood swings” among some of the soldiers.
The military commander urged people to remain calm and avoid speculation on social media, and said that “negotiations are underway to restore calm and tranquility.”
In January, Damiba ousted President Rosh Kabore, saying he had failed to deal with rising Islamist violence.
“We have more than it takes to win this war,” the junta chief said when he was sworn in as president in February.
But many citizens do not feel any safer, and there have been protests in various parts of the country in the past week.
On Friday followingnoon, some demonstrators took to the streets of the capital, calling for Damiba to be removed.
An Islamist insurgency erupted in Burkina Faso in 2015, killing thousands and forcing an estimated two million people from their homes.
The country has witnessed eight successful coups since independence in 1960.
