Summary Heavy gunfire reported overnight in Guinea-Bissau's capitalArmed national guard soldiers free opposition ministerHead of national guard arrestedCalm appears to have been restored by late morningBISSAU, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Fighting broke out overnight between two factions of Guinea-Bissau's army in the capital and continued early on Friday after armed soldiers from the national guard freed a minister who had been detained for suspected misuse of public funds.
The head of the national guard has since been arrested, a military source said.
Gunshots started at around 2300 GMT on Thursday about two kilometres away from the presidential palace in the capital Bissau.
A police source said the shooting on Thursday started after heavily armed members of the national guard stormed a police station to free Finance Minister Suleimane Seidi, arrested earlier that night.
The national guard reports to parliament, while the military reports to the president.
Persons:
Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Embalo, Suleimane Seidi, Antonio Monteiro, Sierra Leone's, Alberto Dabo, Samba, Sofia Christensen, Christina Fincher
Organizations:
United Nations, Change, PAIGC, Freetown, CFA, Thomson
Locations:
Guinea, BISSAU, Bissau, Antula, Dubai, Guinea Bissau, West African, Senegal, Portugal, West, Central Africa