The French army has deployed 250 troops in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui in an effort to restore security in the city following a deadly gunfight on Thursday.
“At this stage 250 French soldiers have been deployed in Bangui to secure and patrol,” ministry spokesman Gilles Jarron told a news briefing.
Heavy gunfire erupted across several districts of Bangui on Thursday morning, as Christian militias clashed with the mostly Muslim former rebels who control the city.
At least 23 people were killed and 64 others wounded in the fighting, according to a Reuters witness.