Kenya Airways, RwandAir cancel Friday flights to Burundi after military bases attack

Reuters: Kenya Airways and RwandAir cancelled their flights to the Burundian capital on Friday, officials said, after gunmen launched attacks on military bases in Bujumbura in the early hours of the morning.

"The reason we could not land is that there is no personnel," said Kenya Airways Corporate Communications Manager Wanjiku Mugo, adding that all three of its daily flights were cancelled.

A RwandAir official said its flight to Bujumbura on Friday had also been cancelled. It was not immediately clear if the airport had officially been shut.

"Bujumbura airport is not closed but some airlines have cancelled their flights to Bujumbura," said presidential media adviser Willy Nyamitwe.

Twelve insurgents who launched the attacks were killed and 20 others were arrested, an army spokesman said.

Speaking to state radio, army spokesman Gaspard Baratuza said five soldiers were also wounded when assailants tried to storm military bases to seize weapons to free people held in prison.

Soldiers, speaking on condition of anonymity, had earlier told Reuters that at least five soldiers were killed in the attacks.