Attempted Coup, Prison Break Triggers Nationwide Lockdown, Sierra Leone

At approximately 2357 EST, gunshots rang out in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Over the next three hours various eyewitness and local media outlets reported that an armed group of at least 30 unidentified gunmen attempted to break into the military barracks and army base in the Wilberforce area of Sierra Leone. These militants also attempted to gain control of the Presidential Lodge that is near the barracks. RPG and automatic gunfire prompted at least 300 civilians to evacuate the immediate area as security forces and the gunmen exchanged fire for more than three hours.