63 hostages evacuated from besieged Burkina Faso hotel

Sixty-three hostages, including 33 wounded, were evacuated in the early hours of today from a Burkina Faso hotel besieged by Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen, communication minister Remis Dandjinou said.

"There are some dead but we don't have the numbers. The assault is ongoing with the Burkinabe forces supported by French special forces," Dandjinou told AFP, adding that amongst those rescued was labour minister Clement Sawadogo.