French, UN helicopters attack Ivory Coast presidential palace
April 11th, 2011 - 3:37 pm ICT by ANIAbidjan, Apr 11 (ANI): French and United Nations helicopter gunships fired rockets at the Ivory Coast’s presidential palace on Sunday, to dislodge a despot hiding in a basement tunnel.
According to UN spokesman Hamadoun Toure, the air strikes were targeting weapon stockpiles in the sprawling compound and not Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo.
“Our objective is not to capture anybody”, ” there are still some heavy weapons that they had used against civilians and the UN,” The New York Daily News quoted Toure, as saying.
In response to the air strikes, Gbagbo’s spokesman, Ahoua Don Mello, said the presidential palace has been “partially destroyed.”
A day earlier, Gbagbo forces had fired on the luxury hotel headquarters of his rival, Alassane Outtara.
Ivory Coast has been in crisis since November, when Gbagbo lost a democratic election, but refused to concede.
Ouattara was formally recognized as the election’s rightful winner by most countries and the United Nations. (ANI)
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