Ouagadougou — Burkina Faso’s President Roch Kabore is being held in a military camp by rebel soldiers, four security sources and a West African diplomat said Thursday. The detentions followed a gun battle around Kabore’s residence on Sunday night (23/1) in the capital, Ouagadougou.

His detention came after continuous gunfire rang out from military camps in the West African country throughout Sunday with soldiers demanding more support for their fight against Islamist militants. But the Burkina Faso government denies the military has seized power.

Kabore’s whereabouts or situation was unknown as of Monday (24/1) morning with conflicting reports circulating among security and diplomatic sources. A number of armored vehicles of the presidential fleet filled with bullets were seen near the presidential residence.

One of them was covered in blood. Residents in the presidential neighborhood reported heavy gunfire overnight. But a government source could not immediately be reached on Monday. Frustration has grown in Burkina Faso in recent months over the frequent killings of civilians and soldiers by militants, some of whom are linked to ISIS and Al Qaeda.

Protesters came to support the rebels on Sunday and searched the headquarters of the Kabore political party. The government declared a curfew from 20.00 GMT (03.00 WIB) to 0530 GMT (12.30 WIB) until further notice and closed schools for days. The turmoil in Burkina Faso comes after the military successfully staged an 18-month coup in Mali and Guinea in which the army removed President Alpha Conde last September.

The army also took over Chad last year after President Idriss Deby was killed on the battlefield there. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in West Africa despite being a gold producer. The army has suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Islamist militant group which controls much of the country and calls on the region’s population to abide by its rules.

The upheaval marked the political consequences of a growing uprising across the Sahel region.