He said the gunmen were thought to be young men from surrounding villages but added that the security forces strongly suspected that one or two "well-known" army officers may have been behind the attacks.

The armed men attacked the Koundoul military training centre on the southern edge of the capital and the Nomad Guard camp in the centre of the city in the early hours of Monday.

"There are four dead among those who attacked Koundoul and tried to get arms there and two injured among those who broke into the Nomad Guard camp," Doumgor told French radio.