Burundi cameraman, family killed by police

The unending unrest in Burundi has claimed another set of lives when police killed a state TV cameraman and his family at their home during an operation which authorities say was carried out to rescue kidnapped officers.

The police entered their compound looking for the kidnappers and were shooting anyone who was in range, according to witnesses.

Police said 10 people were killed including an officer, but have not revealed details about the kidnapping.

Unrest started in April when Burundi’s president sought a third term in power.

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President Pierre Nkurunziza went on to win a controversial election in July and since then there has been a wave of unexplained killing, both of opposition activists and security forces.

In September, Burundi’s army chief of staff survived an assassination attempt. Earlier in the same week a spokesman for a party opposed to President Nkurunziza’s third term was shot dead in Bujumbura.

Burundi has also accused neighbouring Rwanda of training rebels seeking to destabilise the country, something Rwanda denies.

It is not clear who kidnapped the police officers in the latest incident.

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