A police officer and a teacher were shot dead in a bar in Eastern Burundi by four gunmen on Monday, a local governor reportedly said, the latest attack in months of unrest in the East African country.
The attack took place in the town of Gisuru.
“This is the first time that our province is attacked in this way,” said Abdallah Hassan, the governor of Ruyigi district, close to the Tanzanian border.
“They opened fire on customers and killed a police officer and a head teacher, before leaving without stealing anything,” he added.
Burundi descended into violence in April after President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third consecutive term in office despite concerns over the legality of the move.
At least 240 people have been killed, as more than 200,000 have fled the country.
US President Barack Obama on Monday imposed sanctions on Public Security Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, the regime’s number two, and three others, linking them to the country’s tumble into violence.
The US action imposes visa restrictions on the four and blocks their US assets, a White House statement said, adding that it was considering similar action against other individuals.
